China Calls for Cooperation of Former Sierra Leonean Rebels With Government, U.N.

China Monday called on the cooperation of the former Sierra Leonean rebels to unconditionally honor a peace accord signed in July last year and to cooperate with the Government and the U.N. Mission, known as UNAMSIL, in a bid to promote the peace process in the West African country.

The statement came as Chen Xu, councilor of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, took the floor at the Security Council open briefing on Sierra Leone.

Although the general situation in Sierra Leone had been improved, many elements of instability remain in the country, Chen said.

"The Revolutionary United Front (RUF), particularly the performance of its leader Mr. Foday Sankoh as well the noncooperation with UNAMSIL became the major road block to the peace process," he said.

"We are gravely concerned at the slow process of the disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation of ex-combatants" in the country, Chen said. "We are also deeply disturbed by the serious humanitarian situation and cases of human rights violations which occurred from time to time."

Therefore, he said, RUF must "unconditionally implement the obligation undertaken in the Lome Peace Agreement, and put an end to its hostility against the Government and UNAMSIL."

"The international community should continue to support the peace process in various ways," he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his March 9 report to the Security Council, criticized Sankoh for hampering peace in Sierra Leone, saying Sankoh and his RUF fighters are hostile to UN. peace-keepers.

UNAMSIL, which is helping to monitor the Lome Peace Agreement, has an authorized strength of 11,100 troops, but only about 7,500 are deployed.

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