POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: UN Troops Deployed in Diamond-Rich Region

By Lansana Fofana Reprint | | Print |

Lansana Fofana

FREETOWN, May 23 2001 (IPS) - Rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone have for the first time allowed the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the contested eastern diamond- producing region of Kono, about 340 kilometres from the capital Freetown.

Confirming the breakthrough to IPS this week, the spokesperson for the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Margaret Novicki, said that two companies of about 250 Bangladeshi troops have moved into Kono ahead of the full deployment of peacekeepers there.

“The UN peacekeepers have established a permanent patrol presence in Koidu Town, the capital of Kono district as a result of last week’s meeting in Freetown, of the conflicting sides,” Novicki said.

The troops will undertake aerial, foot and mobile patrols in Kono east towards the Guinean border where recent skirmishes were reported between rebel forces and the Guinean army. Another patrol will be conducted southwards in the direction of the strategic garrison town of Daru.

Kono district, like other diamond-producing regions, has been at the centre of the decade-long civil conflict, mainly because of the economic returns from the plunder of the precious minerals by rebels, who use the proceeds to buy weapons for their war machinery.

As for the government side, it served as the nerve-centre for the cash-strapped economy, providing huge revenue from the mining and export of rough diamonds. Its fall to the RUF had tremendous impact on the Freetown government that now largely depends on handouts from the international donor community.

According to UNAMSIL officials, the presence of their troops in Kono district would checkmate military activities in the area, stop on-and-off skirmishes between militia fighters and rebels as well as Guinean air raids and ground attacks from across the border.

“We hope to send in a battalion-strong contingent of close to 1,000 troops in the district headquarter town of Koidu, as soon as we complete arrangements,” a UNAMSIL spokesperson added.

Apart from Kono district, the other key diamond-producing region of Tongo Fields, also in the eastern province, has been opened to UN troops who have conducted patrols in the area but are yet to fully deploy there.

Although it’s yet unclear as to when UN troops will fully deploy in Kono and the other mining towns, there is considerable optimism among the war-weary populace, especially displaced persons from the area.

When the rebels occupied Kono district more than 100,000 civilians fled for their lives. The district was ravaged, with the headquarter town virtually decimated. Infrastructure and social services were seriously vandalised and the town is now in utter ruins.

“I welcome the UN permanent patrol in Kono,” remarks Kai Fomba, a local from the area. He adds: “I hope a full battalion of UN troops is soon deployed in Kono so that I will return with survivors of my family to start kicking up the pieces of our shattered lives.”

Sia Gbamanja, whose husband and three children were killed by rebels, says: “If UNAMSIL deploys today in Kono I will move along with them. I am tired of living in deplorable (refugee) camp situation.”

In addition to the RUF’s gesture of opening up their territories to the UN peacekeepers, the rebels also have dramatically joined the disarmament programme, something they had consistently shied away from, raising doubts about their sincerity.

In the past couple of days, more than 400 RUF combatants have given up their weapons to UN peacekeepers in the north-western district of Kambia. These include anti-aircraft guns, mortar bombs and assault rifles.

The chairman of the RUF political and peace council Omrie Golley said Tuesday that the rebel movement was now “totally committed to the peace process and will strictly abide by the agreements reached in Abuja, Nigeria and the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown.”

The basis of those agreements was to expedite the disarmament process. This would be followed by a swift establishment of government authority in areas previously held by the RUF.

However, over the weekend, the civil militia forces put spanners in the peace process by attacking RUF positions in Kono. Although the rebels did not return fire there are fears the continuous violation of the cease-fire by the government-backed militias may derail the whole exercise.

UNAMSIL officials, however, said Tuesday that they had reported the matter to the Sierra Leonean government for prompt action. “I think incidents of such nature may not augur well for the fragile peace that we’re all yearning for,” Novicki said.

UNAMSIL, with about 13,000 troops, is seeking an end to Sierra Leone’s 10-year-old civil war.