The Kamajors, a civilian militia force loyal to President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, have retaken a town in central Sierra Leone after five days of fighting, news organisations reported this week.
However, a spokesman for the West African peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, ECOMOG, told IRIN he could not confirm the reports.
Reuters yesterday reported a Kamajor commander as saying that the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels had been using the town, Mile 91, as a base for raids throughout the central region. A Kamajor force “overpowered the rebels yesterday (Sunday) and took over the entire town”, he said.
However, ECOMOG spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Olukulade told IRIN today: “I know the Kamajors have said this, but I have not been able to confirm it.”
Mile 91 is a key stop on the main road from Freetown to Bo, capital of the southern province.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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