Where the defeated celebrate

General Vijay Jetley, UN Force Co-mmander, arrives in a small helicopter, and walks smartly into one of the larger tents described as the `Ops room’. Siwach and two or three officers follow. An emergency meeting is on.

But what is this hush, hush strategy session about? "Is there likely to be some military action?" I ask. "That will be possible only when the three gunships are operational", a senior officer is smartly evasive.

Two things have happened. A somewhat alarming message from the RUF headquarters has been intercepted. "Remove the 23 Indian hostages immediately to Kailahun" it says. Why is this alarming? "Because at the moment we know where they are." Removing them could mean anything.

The second mishap concerns an interview given by Brigadier David Ric-hards, Commander of the British task force in Sierra Leone (outside the UN peacekeeping troops) to the BBC. In this interview, he pra-ised the Indian gr-enadiers for having sealed off all rebel access to Lungi, Hastings, indeed to Freetown. This deployment has been seen by the RUF (Revolutionary United Front) as an " offensive" act. Rogberi is where two western journalists were killed when the RUF ambushed the Sierra Leone army.

A visit to Rogberi is a heartwarming experience. There is also a worrying aspect of the deployment at Rogberi. The junction is in the western sector over 70 kms from Freetown. To its east, about 20 kms at Lunsar, the RUF has just ousted the Sierra Leone army. If you wish to see a defeated army celebrate withdrawal, come to Rogberi. This is where the SLA, ousted from Lunsar, has found security with the Indian grenadiers. In the enclave of the Indian peacekeepers, the SLA are celebrating, waving their arms.

The Lome Peace Accord of July 1999, seeks reconciliation between the Sierra Leone government and the RUF. It was signed by President Kabbah and RUF leader Foday Sankoh. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Lone (UNAMSIL) was designed to promote reconciliation, disarm all sides to the conflict and pave the way for a democratically elected government.

If disarmament is one of the purpo-ses of UNAMSIL, then what are the SLA cadres doing fl-ourishing their wea-pons before a peacekeeping mission?Colnel Rob Sy-monds of the Br-itish task force (not in blue berets) suddenly emerges. "The Indians have been wonderful," he says. But what happens to Lome? Foday Sankoh is in government custody. The British are "officially" training the SLA. A British Brigadier is on his way from London to take over "officially" as adviser to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Defence. As it is, Keith Biddle, an Englishman to boot, is already Sierra Leone’s police chief.No Swaraj, Swadeshi complication in their country, when I make this remark to Hinga Norman, Deputy Defence Minister, he clarifies things to me in his genial manner. "Britain is the grandfather of all armies, including yours."Well, it is against this background that the interview to the BBC, praising Indian bravery, has invited a sharp reaction from the RUF. One of the RUF demands now is that the Indians withdraw from Rogberi. They want the Indians to use their influence to have Foday Sankoh released.

Are the 213 Indian officers and men and 11 military observers in Kailahun and 23 Indians along with Col. Amit Sharma in Kuiva (now shifted to Pendembu along the Liberian border) being held as bargaining chips? Has the deployment in Rogberi, in the west, hardened the RUF in the east where an Indian battalion under Col. Satish Kumar is headquartered in Daru.

Against the backdrop of the picturesque Tborginy hills, the 5/8 Gurkha Rifles in the rundown Moa barracks by the side of the Moa river seems secure. But the sense of security is soon dispelled as you meet a very anxious looking Colnel Satish Kumar. After all two of his companies have been confined in superb fortifications in Kailahun. But they are not allowed to move out. Would you call these men "hostages," "soldiers forcibly confined to a secure area," or "Indian troops in a stand-off" with the RUF? Split hairs, if you like, but this state of affairs has lasted six weeks.

From behind the army mess in Daru emerges Major Mark McKinney. "I am not English" he clarifies. "I am from Northern Ireland where we have had some experience in dealing with this sort of hostage taking." Mark McKinney and two other British officers (not part of UNAMSIL) have a special interest because an Englishman, Andrew Harrison, is one of the military observers among the soldiers held in Kailahun.

What would have happened, if say, a dozen American soldiers had been "held," "confined," or "in a stand off" for six weeks? I suppose we Indians act maturely because we are an ancient civilisation!