From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SIERRA LEONE: NIGERIAN JET BOMBERS RAID REBELS/RELATE/
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:01:48 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: SIERRA LEONE: NIGERIAN JET BOMBERS RAID REBELS/RELATE/


/attn editors: relate the following to 'sierra leone: war, women
and birth control' moved from freetown at 9:15 gmt/

freetown, dec 18 (ips/lansana fofana) -- for the past two
weeks nigerian jets have been pounding rebels positions in
eastern sierra leone in support of beleagured government forces
who have suffered heavy military setbacks.

deserters from the revolutionary united front (ruf) have
described ''serious bombing raids'' by nigerian ground-attack
jets in the contested eastern diamon-rich district of kono.

although the military regime of captain valentine strasser
has refused to admit the bombing campaign, nigerian alpha jets
are now often seen flying overhead towards kono and the battle
zone.

nigerian high commission officials would not confirm or deny
this latest dimension in the tw0-year-old sierra leone conflict
waged by the ruf, who are supported by liberian warlord charles
taylor.

a spokesperson at the high commission told ips: ''that's a
military matter. we have no comments.''

it is believed that nigeria, which leads the seven nation
west african peacekeeping force (ecomog) in neigbouring liberia,
may be opening a new front in sierra leone as part of a push
into taylor held territory across the border.

an ruf deserter told ips that the sound of the bombing raids
on koidu, the district capital of kono captured by the ruf
earlier this month, could be heard 40km away.

ibrahim sillah said the near-deserted town, which had a
population of over 100,000, was in ruins.

the nigerian airforce's franco-german built alphas are based
at the international airport in freetown, from where they fly
support missions for ecomog in liberia.

thursday, the chiefs-of-staff of the countries contributing
troops to ecomog held a meeting here in freetown to review their
role and problems in liberia.

the 16-member economic community of west african states
(ecowas) despatched the peacekeeping force to liberia in 1990
when the chaos of the civil war threatened to destabalise the
region. (more/ips)


sierra leone:

with taylor refusing to abide by negotiated agreements
and in october attacking ecomog based in the capital monrovia,
the peacekeepers have gone on the offensive.

ecowas executive secretary, dr. abass bundu, after the
meeting turned to the sierra leone situation and called on ruf
leader corporal foday sankoh to agree to a ceasefire and
negotiations to end the carnage which has paralysed this
potentially wealthy country.

bundu said that ecowas would prepare the necessary ground
if the rebel leader was prepared for dialogue.

two weeks ago, a self-professed spokesperson for the ruf
called up a brigade commander on the radio claiming that the
rebels were prepared to talk without preconditions. no concrete
developments have followed.

meanwhile, the sierra leone army -- demoralised and poorly
equipped -- is suffering serious reversals on the ground in kono
district, and appears unable to block a rebel advance
northwards.

according to analysts, if the ruf succeeds in breaking into
the north, they could win substancial backing in the region.

sankoh is a northerner, and the region is the stronghold of
the regime of joseph momoh ousted by strasser's coup in april.

ironically momoh, in exile in neighbouring guinea, and
ex-ministers are rumoured to support the rebels. it was military
disenchantment with the former government's waging of the war
against the ruf that led directly to the coup.
(end/ips/lf/oa/92)
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