The UN mission in Sierra Leone launched an investigation...

The UN mission in Sierra Leone launched an investigation into human rights abuses by fighting forces, an official of the mission said. Richard Bennett, head of the mission's human rights section, said the probe was intended to determine the effect of human rights violations on civilians and to get a "complete picture" of the human rights situation in Sierra Leone.He said human rights investigations have been undertaken in Freetown, Waterloo, Masiaka, Port Loko, Lungi, Bo and Rogbere junction. He added that the mission had received reports indicating that the government and its allied forces had been responsible for extra-judicial executions, arbitrary detention and beatings.