SIERRA LEONE: FIRST 360 OF MORE THAN 500 UKRAINIAN U.N. PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVE IN CAPITAL FREETOWN

Record ID: 646599

  • Title: SIERRA LEONE: FIRST 360 OF MORE THAN 500 UKRAINIAN U.N. PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVE IN CAPITAL FREETOWN
  • Date: 29th December 2000
  • Summary: FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE (DECEMBER 30, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN: PLANE WITH UKRAINIAN PEACE KEEPERS ABOARD ON RUNWAY 0.06 2. VARIOUS: UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPERS GETTING OFF PLANE (5 SHOTS) 0.42 3. SV: UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) TRUCK BESIDE PLANE, COLLECTING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES. 0.46 4. SV: UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPER WITH CHRISTMAS TREE 0.51 5. SV: TWO UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPERS WITH CHRISTMAS TREE 1.00 6. PAN: UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPERS LINED UP 1.09 7. SCU: UKRAINIAN COMMANDER COLONEL SERGEI SERDYUK ADDRESSING PEACEKEEPERS 1.15 8. VARIOUS: U.N. TRUCK ARRIVING AT UKRAINIAN COMPOUND / INTERIOR OF COMPOUND, UKRAINIAN PEACE KEEPERS GETTING OUT OF TRUCKS, ENTERING COMPOUND/ LOCAL ONLOOKERS OUTSIDE COMPOUND (6 SHOTS) 1.42 9. SLV: UKRAINIAN FLAG BEING RAISED OUTSIDE COMPOUND 1.50 10. MV: INTERIOR OF COMPOUND, SIERRA LEONE COMPOUND STAFF 1.56 11. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) COLONEL SERGEI SERDYUK SAYING: "We are not taking part in this war, we are here to do our task - to help keep peace between two sides." 2.10 12. AERIAL TRACKING SHOT OF COUNTRYSIDE AROUND WHERE UKRAINIAN TROOPS WILL BE BASED 2.15 13. SV'S: UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPERS LOOKING OUT OF WINDOW OF HELICOPTER, TAKING NOTES (2 SHOTS) 2.24 14. SLV: UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPERS NEAR WHERE THEIR NEW BASE WILL BE LOCATED 2.30 15. SV: UKRAINIAN PEACEKEEPER WITH TWO LOCAL BOYS 2.37 16. LV: UNITED NATIONS HELICOPTERS ON TARMAC OF AIRPORT 2.43 17. SCU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) LOCAL MAN, SIEH MANSERAY SAYING: "Yes, I'd gladly help them, really." 2.51 18. SCU: MANSERAY SHOWING HOW REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT (RUF) REBELS CHOPPED OFF ONE OF HIS HANDS, EXPLAINING THEY TOOK TWO OR THREE BLOWS AND THAT IT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. 3.09 19. SCU: ANOTHER LOCAL MAN WITH CHOPPED OFF HAND 3.13 20. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIERRA LEONE GOVERNMENT SOLDIER ABDUL KAMARA SAYING: "We are soldiers, when we are training there would be a message coming around us. They send a message. We are friendly and we are glad that they are coming - the Ukrainians. So we are happy to receive you." 3.28 21. MV: U.N. TRUCK ARRIVING AT COMPOUND 3.35 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 13th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE
  • Country: Sierra Leone
  • Reuters ID: LVAEE3ES4LBNUDI7892TK2PLLB5W
  • Story Text: The first 360 of more than 500 Ukrainian peacekeepers
    have arrived in the Sierra Leone capital Freetown, where they
    will replace outgoing members of the Jordanian and Indian
    United Nations contingents.


    The Ukrainian detachment is expected to serve in Sierra
    Leone for a year and their immediate task is to set up
    logistic networks for their colleagues who are due to arrive
    over the next few weeks with two hundred armoured personnel
    carriers and more than two hundred trucks.

    The peace keepers will move into the interior and are
    expected to act as a buffer between Sierra Leone and Liberia
    in a border zone which has seen hundreds killed, including
    many civilians, over the past three months. The arrival of
    the Ukrainians has coincided a local ceasefire and the
    reopening of a major highway running to Sierra Leone's
    eastern border with Liberia for the first time since May.

    Jordan and India opted to pull their troops out for
    different reasons.

    Jordan wanted to see First World nations play a greater
    role and India pulled out after friction with regional power
    broker Nigeria.

    A Kenyan commander now has charge of the U.N. force,
    currently the world body's largest.

    Ukrainian commander Colonel Sergei Serdyuk emphasised that
    their mission was to keep the peace and not to take part in
    the eight-year civil war between the government forces based
    in Freetown and the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front
    (RUF).

    "We are not taking part in this war, we are here to do
    our task - to help keep peace between two sides", Serdyuk
    said.

    Their presence has been welcomed by the local people, many
    of whom have suffered horrific injuries during previous RUF
    raids and attacks.

    "Yes, I'd gladly help them, really," said Sieh Manseray,
    a local man who had his hand hacked off by RUF rebels in May.

    Members of the government forces, many of who have
    recently been trained by members of the large British Army
    force in the region, have also welcomed their presence.

    "We are friendly and we are glad that they are coming,"
    said one young government soldier.


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