S. Leone Govt. Troops Begin Deployment in Rebel AreasSierra Leonean government forces Tuesday for the first time began military deployment in the rebel- held territory, said reports reaching here from the country's capital Freetown.The new Sierra Leone Army (SLA) deployed in the northern Kambia district near the border with Guinea under a cease-fire agreement between the government and rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) on May 15, which so far also have led to the disarmament of more than 3,300 fighters of the both sides. "Several hundred Sierra Leonean troops have established control by the legitimate government of Sierra Leone throughout the district," the army spokesman Major John Milton was quoted as saying in a statement. Milton said it is hoped that in the new spirit of peace, the momentum will continue. Earlier on Monday, UNAMSIL (U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone) Force Commander Lieutenant General Daniel Opande informed the RUF about the planned deployment of the SLA to Kambia district beginning on May 29, and urged the RUF rebels to cooperate with the SLA personnel who will be responsible for patrolling the country's border with Guinea. During a visit to the district, Opande also congratulated the RUF on its cooperation in the disarmament exercise and briefed them on the UNAMSIL's deployment throughout Sierra Leone. The peace process in the war-torn country has been accelerating in recent weeks after the signing of the Freetown agreement. |
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