THE Nigerian led intervention force in Sierra Leone yesterday launched a naval bombardment of the capital, Freetown, effectively shattering hopes of a negotiated settlement with the leaders of last week's military coup to restore democratic government. Shelling was reported to have killed up to 50 people.
Rebels were massed around a hotel in the seafront Aberdeen area of the city, guarded by Nigerian troops, where some 1,000 West Africans, Lebanese and Asians had taken refuge. Hotel guests and Nigerian soldiers said the Nigerians were outnumbered, and the hotel near the Sierra Leone military headquarters was about to be overrun.
In the city centre, Revolutionary United Front rebels and Sierra Leonean soldiers secured strategic positions in anticipation of an attack.
A spokesman for the military government, speaking on national radio, called for protests against the intervention. "Let us take to the streets now and say No to foreign intervention," he said.
The Nigerians said they had taken over the international airport at Lungi, north of the capital, which had been under uneasy joint control since the coup. A Nigerian commander said the airport would be used to bring in reinforcements.
Nigerian ships in the bay west of Freetown began the bombardment at daybreak after talks between Nigerian and British diplomats and the coup leaders at the seafront military headquarters collapsed on Sunday night.
The artillery fire was followed by sporadic automatic weapons fire in several parts of the city. Around midday the coup leaders sent a helicopter - apparently their only aircraft - out to sea to fire back.
Witnesses said Nigerian troops, who are mostly positioned east of Freetown, were moving west through bush towards the mutineers' stronghold.
"People are really panicking now, as it seems there will be all out war here," a Freetown journalist said by telephone.
The naval offensive was expected by many observers, as the 3,000 strong West African peacekeeping force has been poised for attack since last week, with at least three gunboats offshore and troops deployed in strategic parts of the city.
It came after Maj Johnny Paul Koromah, Sierra Leone's new head of state and chairman of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, on Sunday declared himself leader of a 20 man military administration, promising an 18 month transition to democracy.
Following the evacuation of at least 2,000 foreign nationals from Sierra Leone there was concern about a possible humanitarian crisis should the situation continue to deteriorate.
. Three Irish Christian Brothers in Sierra Leone - Brothers Noel Bradshaw, Edward Cowan and Eamonn MacLochlainn - are safe at present, according to their English Province leader, Brother George Gordon. He said he had been in contact by telephone yesterday morning with their house in Freetown.