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One Jordanian Peace Keeper Killed in S. Leone
A Jordanian UN peacekeeper was confirmed to have been killed on Friday and four others wounded by the rebels in Sierra Leone, reports reaching here from Freetown said on Saturday.
They were caught in an ambush near the town of Mile 91, about 145 kilometers east of the capital, Freetown, on Friday. The atrocity immediately invited condemnation from the international community.
The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday that he was "appalled"
to learn of the incident and expressed "his deepest condolences to the family of the victim" and the Jordanian government.
He made clear that the attack would not alter the UN's commitment to assisting the achievement of a lasting peace in Sierra Leone.
The attack took place when the UN Security Council was about to vote on a proposed embargo on Sierra Leone diamonds.
The plan is to choke off the illegal trade in diamond which has funded the rebels' campaign, while allowing the government to certify diamonds sold with its agreement.
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