§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what troops, other than those of the Sierra Leone Government, are present in Sierra Leone; and what role they are playing. [14848]
§ Mr. BaldryWe understand that units of the armed forces of Guinea, Nigeria and Ghana are present in Sierra Leone by agreement between the Governments concerned. We also understand that the Government of Sierra Leone have themselves contracted some former Ghurkas to assist in training the Sierra Leone armed forces.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role has been played by the Commonwealth Secretariat in attempting to ameliorate the situation in Sierra Leone: and what reports he has received from the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth about the need for international preventative diplomacy or other action in Sierra Leone; and how he is going to respond. [14851.]
§ Mr. BaldryStaff of the Commonwealth Secretariat have visited the region and sought to establish contact with the various parties to the dispute. We have given our strong support to international efforts to bring about a peaceful solution.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the estimates of the number of people in Sierra Leone who have been killed since the war started in 1991. [14853.]
§ Mr. BaldryI refer to my written reply of 16 February to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman), column731.