Indian peacekeepers arrive in Freetown

NEW DELHI, JUNE 30. Twenty-one Indian peacekeepers, released by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels at Pendembu, tonight reached the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown to a hearty welcome, Army sources said here.

The peacekeepers, including two officers and a junior commissioned officer, were flown from Monrovia, capital of Liberia, by a special United Nations aircraft and were received at the Lungi airport by the Indian envoy, Mr. Neelam Dev, and Maj. Gen. V.K. Jetley, Indian commander of the U.N. mission in Sierra Leone.

``They were hale and hearty and were jubilant on arrival at Lungi,'' the sources said.

After their release yesterday, the peacekeepers were transferred to Monrovia. The troops would be debriefed and re-deployed after they rejoin their unit. The Indian peacekeepers had been held in Pendembu near the Liberian border since May.

The U.N. Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, welcomed the latest release, acknowledging the role that the Liberian President, Mr. Charles Taylor, had played.

The RUF rebels are, however, still surrounding 222 other Indian peacekeepers and 11 military observers at nearby Kailahun, but the U.N. does not consider them hostages as they have not been disarmed.

Liberia's Defence Minister, Mr. Daniel Chea, warned that any attack on the rebels would complicate efforts to secure a safe passage for the surrounded peacekeepers.

- Reuters, PTI, UNI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Ladakh Council adopts resolution seeking
           separation from J & K
Next     : Hostages' safety comes first, says Fiji military