Sierra Leone military says it will stick to peace timetable

INCORPORATES 1700 SIERRA LEONE-BRITAIN The military rulers in Sierra Leone say they remain committed to restoring President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah to power before the end of April, in line with a regional peace plan agreed last October.

A senior military figure, Colonel Abdul Karim Sesay, said at a news briefing the capital Freetown that the military government wanted the peace plan to succeed within the agreed time.

His comments come before a visit to Sierra Leone by a new international contact group, which the newly-appointed British envoy to the country, John Flynn, will chair.

This mission follows concerns over the peace timetable being met; last month Sierra Leone's military ruler, Major Johnny Paul Koroma, suggested it was unlikely the deadline would be met.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service