Although, according to the UN, rebel commanders have agreed to the Gurkha move, these peacekeepers may well find their deployment resisted by armed men protecting their ill-gotten diamonds. It's almost inevitable that some group, some time soon, will test the determination of the UN force to keep the peace. Of course, none of the peacekeepers wants a clash to happen, but there's a private concensus among the UN soldiers that if it does happen here in the east the Indian Gurkhas will have to hit back decisively, as their mandate allows, to show who's boss. If they don't, then the UN could be humiliated and may as well pack its bags there and then, leaving Sierra Leoneans to their fate. But for now there are already some positive signs as the unarmed military observers drive around Daru.
Small boys shout friendly greetings and adults watch with fascination.
Because of the ceasefire, the little market place in Daru is thriving. I even saw some rebels in the market selling rice grown in the area they control. Sierra Leone is highly dangerous place and the real test will be winning the respect of the men with guns. That test is likely to come in the diamond badlands of eastern Sierra Leone, and the men likely to face it will be Indian Gurkha troops. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to other From Our Own Correspondent stories are at the foot of the page.