Indian peacekeepers surrounded by rebels in Sierra Leone

FREETOWN, MAY 30: As many as 224 Indian peacekeepers and 11 military observers were encircled in the eastern Kailahun province by Sierra L...

FREETOWN, MAY 30: As many as 224 Indian peacekeepers and 11 military observers were encircled in the eastern Kailahun province by Sierra Leone rebels, the UN mission (UNAMSIL) spokesman, David Wimhurst, said on Tuesday.

Wimhurst said the troops were "not held in detention, but they are submitted to a restriction of movement." He said the troops had been immobilised for more than three weeks. The 235 UN staff are in addition to 23 peacekeepers whom UN force commander General Vijay Jetley said on Monday were encircled by rebels some 50 kms west of Kailahun, near Segbwema.

Wimhurst called on the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which has reneged on the Lome Peace Accord their leader signed in July 1999, to allow the UN peacekeeping force to freely operate in accordance with resolutions of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). "The UN calls on the RUF to immediately cease the prevention of our freedom of movement and we want this immediately," Wimhurst said.

In early May, RUF rebels took some 500 peacekeepers hostage. Late Sunday, UNAMSIL said the last batch of UN hostages had been released.

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