Sixty UNAMSIL peacekeepers in Sierra Leone made up of 12 officers and 48 men on Wednesday returned home after 10 months operation.

They were led by Brigadier George Ayi-Bonte. Speaking to Journalists at the airport, Major Lawrence Attache of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) Public Relations Department said with the prevailing peace currently being enjoyed in that country, the UN had decided to down size the number of troops on that operation.

He said the 60 peacekeeping force is the first batch prior to winding up the UN operations in that country, adding that other countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, Ukraine and Bangladesh have also started reducing their troops in that country.

According to Major Attache, by the year 2006, the 17,500 UNAMSIL force would have been reduced to less than 2,000. At the airport to welcome the troops were Brigadier D. Kattah, Brigade Commander for Support Services Brigade who later addressed the troops and Colonel A. Apenga Yella, Director in-Charge of Peacekeeping Operations.