Missionaries Used as Shields Rescued

Two Italian Roman Catholic missionaries kidnapped by rebels in Sierra Leone and used as human shields during fighting in the capital, Freetown, have been rescued by the West African intervention force fighting to protect the government, a Vatican envoy said. The intervention force has virtually cleared the city of attacking rebels, and civilians have emerged from their homes after a week of devastating battles to search for food. Meanwhile, jailed rebel leader Foday Sankoh urged his forces to stop looting and killing but did not call for a cease-fire in the West African nation, a U.N. official said.