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Troop-contributing States to discuss effectiveness of UN mission in Sierra Leone
22 August -- At the invitation of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, top defence officials from the nine countries contributing soldiers to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) will meet tomorrow at the UN in New York to discuss how to make the peacekeeping operation more effective.

According to UN spokesman Fred Eckhard, the meeting with the Chiefs of Staff from the nine countries - Bangladesh, Ghana, Guinea, India, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, the Russian Federation and Zambia - will provide an opportunity for the UN to exchange views on UNAMSIL's mandate, tasks, and any revised concept of operations.

The gathering, which will be attended by Mr. Annan's Special Representative, Oluyemi Adeniji, and UNAMSIL Force Commander Major General Vijay Jetley, will also cover the issue of equipment requirements within the Mission, as well as possible means of assistance in this area.

"The Secretary-General looks forward to an open and constructive discussion on all these matters and is confident that, in addition to reviewing the Mission's operational aspects, the meeting of the military chiefs will contribute to strengthening the cohesion and coordination with UNAMSIL," Mr. Eckhard said.

In other news, UN Civilian Police Chief Maaritz Dutoit yesterday met with Sierra Leonean Vice President Joe Demby to discuss the possible release of former combatants of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) who have been under detention in recent months, UNAMSIL reported. According to the Vice President, the Government was planning to release some 187 RUF ex-soldiers who had been in custody.

The decision to release the RUF prisoners was announced yesterday, when Sierra Leone's President, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, informed the visiting Presidents of Nigeria and Mali that he would take immediate steps for the detainees' release in the interest of achieving sustainable peace. "So far today, the screening process is still going on for the RUF prisoners who are to be released," Mr. Eckhard said.

The Government of Sierra Leone has also emphasized the need for the new RUF leadership, under Issa Sesay, to cooperate with disarmament and to return unconditionally all weapons and equipment taken from UNAMSIL, the spokesman said.