Rebels Reject Truce Offer by Government

Rebels in Sierra Leone who have seized part of Freetown, the capital, rejected the government’s offer of a truce. Instead, the rebels hardened their political demands and vowed to continue their military offensive. Fighting in Freetown continued for a third day, according to journalists and international aid agency workers in the war-torn nation. The rebel forces of the Revolutionary United Front are fighting to unseat President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who was ousted in a May 1997 military coup. He was reinstated in March by a West African force.