sierra leone: Sierra Leoneans exchange small arms for development support

The disarmament and peace process in Sierra Leone is getting new impetus from a pilot programme in four chiefdoms that encourages communities to turn in small arms in return for support for local development projects. The initiative will also strengthen national weapons control measures. It builds on progress in disarmament since the 1999 Lome peace accords and the Abuja ceasefire agreement the following year that ended a devastating civil war.