Sierra Leone troops make advances

United Nations officials in Sierra Leone say that government soldiers have moved into rebel-held towns for the first time in the10-year civil war, as the disarmament of fighters continues.

The officials say that government troops have startd to deploy in the towns of Rokupr and Kambia, in the northern Kambia district, despite recent reports of fighting in the east of the country.

A UN spokeswoman Margaret Novicki said that more than 1,000 fighters - including rebels of the Revolutionary United Front and pro-government militias - have handed over their weapons in the past week.

This brought to more than 3,500 the number of combatants who had turned in their weapons to UN peacekeepers since a disarmament deal was agreed in the capital, Freetown, earlier this month.

The spokeswoman said the government was due to hold another round of talks next week to review the disarmament process.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service