Sierra Leone truce talks launched

ABUJA, Nigeria -- The Sierra Leone government has opened talks with rebels in a bid to bolster a six-month-old truce agreed to end their conflict.

The talks in Nigeria come after Revolutionary United Front rebels accused loyalist forces of launching new strikes in breach of the ceasefire.

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The truce had largely ended fighting which erupted when a 1999 peace deal collapsed a year ago, and had allowed United Nations peacekeepers to deploy in rebel-held areas.

RUF delegation leader Omrie Golley told the Reuters news agency: "We came with high hopes and expectations.

"We hope this meeting will practically address loopholes in the peace accord, so that we can make headway in the final resolution of the crisis."

The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is coordinating the negotiations, which include U.N. mediators.

Meanwhile, ECOWAS and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan say they have received reports that Liberia has not severed its ties with the rebels -- a prime condition for preventing diamond and travel sanctions being applied by the U.N. on 8 May.

Liberia has been accused of aiding RUF rebels in continuing the decade-long war, which has been largely financed by diamonds from rebel-held mining areas in Sierra Leone and has been marked by atrocities being committed against civilians.

But although the U.S. is insisting Liberia must face sanctions, Annan has been more cautious, arguing "external pressure" on Liberia may have little effect as it battles with its own armed insurgency and struggles to cope with internal political and social problems.

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