THE Revolutionary United Front (RUF) this week returned weapons, vehicles and military equipment seized last year from UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers. The handover took place on Wednesday in Makeni, 138km northeast of Freetown. On Tuesday, a Sierra Leonean army battalion crossed the Mange Bridge into Kambia, 80km northeast of Freetown, to reassert government control in parts of the Northern Province hitherto controlled by RUF. The deployment followed the disarmament of irregular forces in Kambia, which began on 18 May. By May 31, the official deadline for disarmament in the area, 3_502 fighters had turned themselves in – 1_096 from the RUF and 2_406 from the Civil Defence Forces militia. – IRIN