DATE=1/7/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-243895
TITLE=SIERRA LEONE / FIGHTING (L)
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=ABIDJAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN SIERRA LEONE, REBELS AND THE WEST AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING
FORCE ENGAGED IN A WAR OF WORDS ON THURSDAY -- WITH EACH SIDE
CLAIMING TO BE IN CONTROL OF THE CAPITAL, FREETOWN. MEANWHILE,
THE TWO SIDES CONTINUED TO CLASH MILITARILY IN BOTH THE CITY AND
IN ITS SUBURBS. V-O-A'S JOHN PITMAN HAS DETAILS FROM OUR WEST
AFRICA BUREAU.
TEXT: THE NIGERIAN GENERAL WHO COMMANDS THE WEST AFRICAN
PEACEKEEPING FORCE, ECOMOG, SAID THURSDAY THAT HIS TROOPS HAD
CONTAINED THE REBEL ASSAULT, AND WERE CLEANING OUT THE REMAINING
POCKETS OF RESISTANCE IN FREETOWN.
IN A LOCAL RADIO BROADCAST, GENERAL ABU AHMADU SAID REPORTS OF A
REBEL TAKEOVER WERE FALSE, AND HE CALLED ON ANY REBEL SOLDIERS
STILL IN THE CITY TO SURRENDER.
SPEAKING TO V-O-A BY TELEPHONE, ECOMOG SPOKESMAN ALI BUHARI
ECHOED THE GENERAL'S REMARKS, AND DENIED REPORTS THAT THE REBELS
HAD GAINED A FOOTHOLD IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE CITY.
/// BUHARI ACT ///
THE REBELS NEVER, I REPEAT, NEVER, OCCUPIED ANY PART OF
FREETOWN.
/// END ACT ///
ON WEDNESDAY, THE REBELS SAID THEY HAD CAPTURED THE GOVERNMENT'S
STATE HOUSE, AS WELL AS A LARGE PORTION OF THE EASTERN PART OF
FREETOWN.
ECOMOG TROOPS REPORTEDLY CLASHED WITH REBEL SOLDIERS IN
FREETOWN'S EAST END NEIGHBORHOOD ON THURSDAY, BUT DETAILS FROM
THAT BATTLE FRONT WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
IN HIS RADIO BROADCAST, GENERAL AHMADU ACCUSED THE REBELS OF
USING CIVILIANS AS HUMAN SHIELDS -- A TACTIC THAT HE SAYS HAS
HAMPERED EFFORTS TO PUSH THEM OUT OF THE CITY.
FOR THEIR PART, THE REBELS DISMISS ALL OF ECOMOG'S CLAIMS, AND
SAY THEIR FIGHTERS STILL HOLD LARGE PARTS OF FREETOWN. REBEL
COMMANDER SAM BOCKARIE CHARACTERIZED ECOMOG'S CLAIMS AS, IN HIS
WORDS, "LIES."
SPEAKING TO V-O-A BY SATELLITE TELEPHONE, MR. BOCKARIE SAID HIS
TROOPS WERE ON TOP OF THE SITUATION, AND WERE ENGAGED IN SERIOUS
COMBAT IN THE EASTERN SUBURB OF JUI, WHERE ECOMOG HAS A LARGE
BARRACKS.
HE SAID REBEL FIGHTERS HAD CAPTURED A LARGE QUANTITY OF ECOMOG
WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION, AND HE THREATENED TO LAUNCH ANOTHER, MORE
DESTRUCTIVE ATTACK ON FREETOWN -- IF ECOMOG TRIES TO SEND IN
REINFORCEMENTS.
/// OPT BOCKARIE ACT ///
WE ARE WAITING. WE ARE PREPARED. THE ECOMOG ABANDONED
ALL THEIR AMMUNITION AND ARTILLERY PIECES FOR US. WE
HAVE GOT THEM. BUT I HAVE NOT GIVEN THE ORDER TO
SHELL THEIR POSITIONS BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE
CIVILIANS TRAPPED THERE. BUT I AM WAITING FOR ANY
ADDITIONAL (ECOMOG) TROOPS THAT WILL BE COMING HERE.
THERE IS MASSIVE DESTRUCTION THAT COULD TAKE PLACE.
/// END ACT /// // END OPT ///
NEITHER OF THESE CONFLICTING VERSIONS OF EVENTS HAS BEEN
INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRMED, AND REPORTS FROM CIVILIANS IN DOWNTOWN
FREETOWN PAINT AN EQUALLY CONFUSED PICTURE OF THE SITUATION ON
THE GROUND.
THE REBELS SAY THEY ARE AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR LEADER,
FODAY SANKOH, WHO REMAINS IN A GOVERNMENT JAIL. REBEL COMMANDER
SAM BOCKARIE HAS DEMANDED THAT MR. SANKOH -- THE FOUNDER OF THE
"REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT," OR "RUF" -- BE RELEASED AS A
PRECONDITION FOR PEACE TALKS.
ON THURSDAY, MR. BOCKARIE REITERATED THAT DEMAND, AND CALLED ON
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY TO ACT AS A
MEDIATOR TO SECURE MR. SANKOH'S FREEDOM.
/// OPT BOCKARIE ACT ///
OUR IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS THE RELEASE OF THE LEADER OF
THE RUF. WE WANT THE O-A-U CHAIRMAN TO SEND A
DELEGATION TO THE NIGERIAN HEAD OF STATE, GENERAL
ABUBAKAR, TO KNOW THE WELL-BEING OF OUR LEADER SO WE CAN
KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT.
/// END ACT // // END OPT ///
MR. BOCKARIE SAYS THE REBELS DO NOT WANT TO PROLONG THE WAR,
BUT WILL FIGHT ON UNTIL THEIR DEMANDS ARE MET.
MEANWHILE, SIERRA LEONE'S PRESIDENT REMAINED IN SECLUSION ON
THURSDAY. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SAID HE HAD TAKEN SHELTER IN THE
ECOMOG MILITARY BASE AT FREETOWN'S LUNGI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,
WHERE HE WAS REPORTEDLY WORKING ON A MESSAGE TO THE SIERRA
LEONEAN PEOPLE. (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/PCF/JO
07-Jan-99 11:39 AM EST (1639 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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