A meeting convened by the Government of
Sierra Leone and attended by former rebel leaders has agreed there should
be unhindered access to all parts of the country for United Nations peacekeepers
and humanitarian workers, a UN spokesman said in New York today.
The meeting, held in the capital Freetown,
involved former rebel leaders Foday Sankoh and Johnny Paul Koroma, as well
as Chief Hingha Norman of the Civil Defence Forces. Mr. Oluyemi Adeniji,
Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and General Vijay Jetley,
the UN Force Commander, also attended.
"They all agreed that there will be unhindered access in all parts of the country to the UN peacekeepers and humanitarian workers; that there are no longer any areas of control by any combatant group; and that disarmament will take place throughout the country as soon as facilities are available," the UN spokesman said.
The Freetown meeting was a follow-up to one held earlier in Bamako, Mali.