Sierra Leone's jailed Sankoh said to have cancer

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (Reuters) -- The jailed former leader of Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Foday Sankoh, is critically ill with prostate cancer, a senior official at the Ministry of Social Welfare said Tuesday.

Sankoh, who founded the RUF and launched Sierra Leone's civil war in 1991, is being held at an unknown location by the government awaiting a likely trial by an international tribunal on war crime charges.

"Foday Sankoh is suffering from prostate cancer. His condition is critical," the official said, adding that foreign medical assistance may be required.

Sankoh was arrested in May after RUF rebels, known for brutally hacking the limbs off defenseless civilians, flouted a 1999 peace deal and took some 500 U.N. peacekeepers hostage.

The RUF recently has appointed a new leader, Issa Sesay, in what was seen as a sign that it may want to open fresh peace talks. The government responded by releasing 171 rebels, but Sankoh was not among them.

RUF fighters on the ground appear to remain loyal to Sankoh, who is regarded by many as an icon.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

See related sites about Africa

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.