Rebels disarm in Sierra Leone

The UN is deploying in rebel held areas

More than 1,000 fighters have handed over their weapons in a rich diamond mining area in eastern Sierra Leone, say the United Nations.

In the biggest single day of disarmament so far under the present ceasefire agreement, both rebel and pro-government militias emerged from the bush in Kono district and turned themselves into demobilisation camps.

The move came a day after the main Sierra Leone rebel commander, General Issa Sesay, travelled to the district personally to deliver the order to his men to hand over their weapons.

The latest disarmament move brings the number of combatants reported to have disarmed since mid-May to more than 8,000.

The UN hopes the RUF's reign of terror is coming to an end

Mining and smuggling in eastern Sierra Leone have been one of the root causes of the devastating civil war which has spilled into neighbouring states and destabilised neighbours.

Tuesday was intended to be the last day for disarmament in Kono district, but the UN extended the deadline by at least a week.

Ceasefire

The UN has its largest peacekeeping force in the world in Sierra Leone and thousands of Pakistani UN peacekeepers are set to deploy in the east.

A diamond mining ban has been agreed, though not yet enforced.

According to the UN, the main grouping of RUF rebels are observing the cease-fire, but splinter groups of rebels and militia men are not obeying the orders of their high commands.

Earlier this week a large convoy of government police officers was prevented by RUF rebels from deploying in the rebel-held northern city of Makeni as earlier agreed by the two sides.