British officials trying to win the release of 11 British soldiers captured in Sierra Leone said that on Sunday they were investigating a report from the war torn West African country that rebel captors were demanding freedom for one of their jailed leaders in exchange for the soldiers' release. Defense officials said the leader of the 11-man British team, which was captured Friday, had been in contact and said all were "being fed and well-treated."
"We have made contact with those who appear to be holding" the men, a Defense Ministry spokesman said, but "discussions are at a very early stage." Speaking with customary anonymity, he added that Britain was "working closely with the government of Sierra Leone to try to bring this to a conclusion." The Defense Ministry later said that it was looking into an unconfirmed report that a group called the West Side Boys said it would release the Britons in exchange for a fighter known as General Papa, or "Bomb Blast, who was arrested in June after a fight with UN peacekeepers over ownership of a vehicle. The captors reportedly also want their supplies replenished before the British soldiers are released.
Bureau Report