Ousted Leader Of Junta Flees; Nigerians Try To Restore Order

The leader of Sierra Leone’s ousted military junta has fled the West African country, and the Nigerian-led intervention force trying to restore order threatened Sunday to shoot looters on sight.

Junta leader Lt. Col. Johnny Paul Koroma left for neighboring Liberia by boat, Nigerian Col. Maxwell Khobe told The Associated Press. His troops led the coalition that cleared the way for the return of elected President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.

In Freetown, the focus Sunday was shifting from the victory won over the weekend to restoring law and order, Khobe said.

“With immediate effect, acts of vandalism, revenge killings and looting must stop,” Khobe warned. “Anyone caught will be shot on sight.”

More than 390 junta soldiers have surrendered their arms to the coalition, Khobe said.

However, some renegade soldiers continued to hold out in a few parts of the city’s suburbs, Gen. Timothy Shelpidi, overall commander of the intervention force, said by telephone.