Tension over Sankoh's location

Foday Sankoh (right) was arrested on Wednesday

A disagreement is developing between UN officials and British military officers in Sierra Leone over the whereabouts of the rebel leader Foday Sankoh.

The UN officials say that Britain is not co-operating with efforts to locate Mr Sankoh who was detained on Wednesday - and was last seen in public at Freetown airport, protected by British soldiers.

A senior UN official said the peacekeepers had asked the British army to reveal the location of Mr Sankoh, because the UN thinks he might be persuaded to tell his men to stop their offensive.

British troops have boosted UN moral in Sierra Leone

But British spokesmen say he is in the custody of the Sierra Leonean police.

Vague answers

The UN official said he was given generally vague answers by British officers.

A BBC correspondent in Freetown, Mark Doyle, says that the British have in their public statements consistently underplayed their role in the war.

He says that it is an open secret in Freetown that British troops have saved the UN from humiliation at the hands of the rebels.

But it is not clear why the British troops are being so secretive about Mr Sankoh's location.

British force

Meanwhile, the British forces have stepped up their presence in Freetown, in what is being seen as a warning to rebels not to mount any further attacks.

On Wednesday night, a British Harrier jet fighter flew low over Freetown, and several military helicopters also took to the skies above the city.

The show of strength follows a clash near Freetown's Lungi airport on Wednesday between the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front, RUF, and British paratroops.

Some of the released UN personnel needed medical attention

Four rebels were killed by the paratroops after the group of 40 opened fire on a British position about 20km from the airport.

On Thursday, West African Defence chiefs meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja agreed to send 3,000 troop reinforcements to take part in the UN peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone.

A significant number of Nigerian troops are already serving with UNAMSIL.

UN hostages

UN spokesman David Wimhurst said the British show of force might have some psychological effect on the rebels.

A BBC correspondent in Freetown, Mike Donkin, says there is speculation that, sooner or later, UN troops might try to push rebel forces further back from the city.

The UN remains concerned that the capture of Mr Sankoh may complicate efforts to free about 270 UN peacekeeping personnel - mostly Zambians - who are still being held hostage.

"We are concerned it could complicate the arrangements that are under way now concerning the release of the remaining detainees," the UN's Fred Eckhard said.

The rebels have released another group of 80 UN peacekeeping personnel, bringing the number of hostages released so far to about 220.