The Rival militia began disarming in the diamond-rich eastern town of Koidu on Monday in a 26-day effort which, observers said, will mark a decisive phase in ending Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war if it is sustained.

Chiefdoms in southern and eastern Sierra Leone will soon receive tens of thousands of dollars as their share of proceeds from the sale of diamonds mined in their region, Mineral Resources Minister Mohammed Deen told IRIN on Thursday.

Sierra Leone's Catholic Church has launched an international appeal for funds to rebuild the education sector, the Missionary News Agency (MISNA) reported on Tuesday. Aid is needed most in the northern and eastern provinces, where fighting destroyed many private and public school buildings, MISNA quoted the Bishop of the northern town of Makeni, Giorgio Biguzzi, as saying.

The football matches, parade, arts and craft exhibition and dance that marked World Refugee Day in Danane, 600 km west of Abidjan, may have allowed the many Liberians and Sierra Leoneans there to escape for just a while from the harsh reality of displacement. The relaxed atmosphere offered the refugees a sneak peek into what most are looking for: a life free of insecurity and instability.

The World Diamond Council, representing all segments of the global diamond industry, has joined 100 international human rights groups, in calling for swift passage of legislation to bar US imports of diamonds from conflict areas.