Sierra Leone says RUF rebels could be collapsing

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) -- Sierra Leone said on Tuesday it believed anti-government rebels could be well on the way to defeat and urged British forces to stay in the warring African country to help "finish the job" of restoring peace.

Foreign Minister Sama Banya, speaking after a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, expressed confidence that with outside help his government could win the war. Britain currently has 220 troops in Sierra Leone.

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Cook earlier refused to specify when the troops would be withdrawn, saying they would stay to train the Sierra Leone army to fight against mainstream Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels who broke a 1999 cease-fire in May.

Banya also thanked Britain for mounting a Sunday raid to free six British soldiers and a Sierra Leonean liaison officer who had been taken hostage by the so-called West Side Boys militia in the African state.

"We want to say to our friends in Britain that we all appreciate the stand that the government and people of Britain are taking. And we do urge you to finish the job now," Banya told Cook in brief comments before reporters.

"I think the backbone of the West Side Boys is broken -- and even that of the RUF -- and together we can finish this once and for all."

British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon suggested on Monday that Britain could add more troops in case of a threat of revenge attacks by militia for the raid.

The United Nations has a troubled 13,000-strong peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone that has been hampered by poor coordination, ill-equipped troops and disagreements between commanders. The Security Council is now considering a resolution to increase the force to 20,500.

"Our strategy is to train the new army for Sierra Leone which will be capable of taking the fight to the rebels and also here in New York to work to expand the number of the U.N. force in Sierra Leone so they can stabilize the territory," Cook said.

"We're committed to making a success of the operation in Sierra Leone because we know there the people are confronted by brutal rebels whose trademark is lopping off the arms and legs of women and children."

But the chances of the peacekeepers taking effective action will be hamstrung until U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ends a row over the leadership of the U.N. peacekeeping force between Nigeria and India, which heads the command.

"It is not helpful when there are differences and bickering between the commanders," he told reporters on Tuesday. "This is a situation that cannot be allowed to fester and we are going to deal with it promptly."

Published reports said the commander of the U.N. mission, Major General Vijay Jetley of India, had complained that senior Nigerian military and political officials had tried to sabotage the operation and colluded with rebels in illegal diamond deals.

Before the United Nations intervened this year a Nigerian-led West African peacekeeping force had been fighting the RUF.

"Around 1,000 of them (Nigerian troops) lost their lives and we should not forget the determination and courage with which they fought," Cook told reporters.

"Of course it would be appropriate to look at the command structure. It's for the secretary-general to decide."

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