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afrol.com, 17 July - In a dramatic military action, Indian led UN troops achieved the liberation of more than 200 peacekeepers held hostage in Kailahun this weekend. One UN sergeant was killed and several peacekeeping soldiers were wounded in the action. This gives the UN a long needed victory and concrete results in its mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). The Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said he was "gratified that the military operation to bring to safety the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers, who had been surrounded for two and a half months by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), has been completed successfully." The Security Council this afternoon expressed its full support for the weekend rescue, ordered by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, of more than 200 peacekeepers by the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone at Kailahun, in the eastern part of the country. In a statement read out by its President, Paul Robertson, Foreign Minister of Jamaica, the Council expressed satisfaction at the successful outcome of the military operation, which saw a minimum of casualties among United Nations personnel. The Security Council expressed its admiration for the "professionalism, determination and robustness displayed by all the UNAMSIL forces involved in this difficult and dangerous operation, and for the leadership and skill of the Force Commander, General [Vijay] Jetley, under whose personal command it was carried out". The Council said that the cooperation, coherence and sense of common purpose displayed by all concerned should be considered an example of the very best in United Nations multilateral peacekeeping. The Council believed, according to the statement, that there was now a firm foundation on which UNAMSIL could build as it continued to implement its mandate and work towards a lasting peaceful settlement to the conflict in Sierra Leone. While noting the positive developments, the Council recognized that there was still much to be done, and expressed its full support to UNAMSIL in its efforts to implement its mandate. The Council paid tribute to the forces of the Indian contingent of UNAMSIL, who took the lead in the execution of the operation and expressed profound condolences to the family of the Indian sergeant, Krishan Kumar, who gave his life in the cause of peace. It also expressed its sympathies to the peacekeepers who were wounded. The Council also commended equally the critical role played by the Nigerian and Ghanaian contingents that provided essential flank and rear support “without which the operation would not have been possible”. It also expressed appreciation to the United Kingdom for the valuable logistical support it provided.
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