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Sunday Morning News

U.N. Tries to Win Release of About 500 Peacekeepers Allegedly Held Hostage By Sierra Leone Rebel Forces

Aired May 7, 2000 - 8:07 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to strife torn Sierra Leone, international troops in the West African nation are mobilizing and the United Nations says its peacekeepers have been battling rebel forces in the bush. The U.N. is trying to win the release of about 500 of its peacekeepers who they say are being held hostage by rebel forces. The rebels denied the charge today. U.N. and rebel representatives are heading to the interior to try to resolve the crisis.

We get more on the situation from CNN's Jim Clancy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With its peacekeepers held hostage, the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone and the future of even African-led peacekeeping continent hung in the balance. By name, the U.N. Secretary General, regional and international leaders heaped blamed on Foday Sankoh. But speaking with CNN, the RUF chairman denied it.

FODAY SANKOH, CHAIRMAN, REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT: This is all false. It is a provocation. The irony as noted with great disarm, dismay on the present attitude of the Enofmil (ph) peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, which against the terms and spirit of the Loma peace agreement.

CLANCY: The United Nations and Sankoh's critics say it is the RUF that is defying the peace accord, refusing to disarm and threatening to plunge the country into conflict. The hostage crisis prompted opposition politicians in Kenya to call for their peacekeepers to be brought home.

DAVID MWENJI, KENYAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: I would say that it is time that we recall them for now and reassess again the situation because if we are fighting a losing battle, if we are fighting a battle that you do not see getting anywhere, then there is no need to have our people losing their lives.

CLANCY: Sankoh, though revered by his followers, has a long record of stalling on disarmament and of confrontation with U.N. troops. He suspects the U.N. and others are trying to undermine his movement. Journalists, peacekeepers and political activists say Sankoh wants to keep thousands of well armed fighters to intimate voters ahead of next year's presidential elections. Sankoh played down the seriousness of the current situation, insisting the peace deal is still alive.

SANKOH: The accord still holds. We are still committed to the accord and even to disarmament. What I'm saying, the constraints we are facing in this disarmament, we still sign on the Loma peace accord. We are committed. These are just isolated incidents.

CLANCY: Jim Clancy, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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