| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
(The following is a special update on the situation in Freetown. The full IRIN-West Africa Update will be issued later today.)
ABIDJAN, 8 January (IRIN) - A ceasefire declared by the Sierra Leone government and rebel leader Foday Sankoh appeared shaky Friday morning following sporadic explosions last night and rebel looting of humanitarian agency assets in the East end of the capital, Freetown. Sierra Leone President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah told reporters in Freetown's Lungi International Airport yesterday (Thursday) that he would negotiate with the rebels, and authorise Sankoh's release if conditions at the end of the seven-day cease-fire were met.
These conditions include the adoption of the 1996 Abidjan pe4ace accord signed with Sankoh and a ceasefire. However, rebel commander Sam Bockarie said his forces would ignore the ceasefire unless he received Sankoh's orders in person. Sankoh is being held by the government.
Rebels loot Eastend
An official of the United Nations Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (UN-HACU), in contact with other humanitarian agencies still in the capital, told IRIN today that rebels had looted cars, food and other goods from the offices and warehouses of aid agencies. "This might affect the ability of agencies to respond immediately to a humanitarian situation," the official said.
The Catholic Relief Services and the WFP have their main warehouses in the Eastend of the city where the looting is taking place. Western Freetown, controlled by the West African intervention force, ECOMOG, is quiet the official said. ECOMOG pushed rebels out of most of the centre they captured on Wednesday, retaking Pedemba Road Prison and State House.
Abidjan, 8 January 1999, 13:00 GMT
[ENDS]
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 13:22:55 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> Subject: SIERRA LEONE: Special report on situation in Freetown 1999.01.08
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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