UN questions Sierra Leone arms purchase
New York, 23 Mar – (ANA) - Sierra Leone's government should explain why it bought millions of dollars worth of assault weapons to equip a recently enlarged paramilitary wing of its police as the country prepares for elections in November, the outgoing U.N. envoy said yesterday. Michael von der Schulenburg told the U.N. Security Council that according to a leaked shipping document the weapons bought by the country in January included heavy machine guns and grenade launchers which were "of great concern." "Sierra Leone is under no arms embargo. However, given Sierra Leone's progress in establishing peace and security throughout the country and its relatively low crime rate, it is not clear why the police would need such weapons," he said. He urged the government to clarify the weapons shipment and explain the intended use of the arms. Schulenburg left Sierra Leone in February, saying that his posting had been cut short by the United Nations under pressure from Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma in a move that Schulenburg said would be seen as "opening the door to manipulating the election outcome in his favor." A spokesman for Koroma denied asking the United Nations to remove the Schulenburg. (ANA)
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