THE UNITED States evacuated more than 900 foreigners fleeing the coup in Sierra Leone and a senior politician said Nigerian troops planned a military strike today to restore the ousted civilian government.
Evacuation of foreigners went ahead despite orders by leaders of last Sunday's coup to close the country's airspace.
Yesterday Nigeria flew in jeeps, armoured personnel carriers and more troops and there were signs that Ghana and Guinea would join in. Military and diplomatic sources said rebel commanders had joined the coup leaders of the Revolutionary United Front and were rejecting any mediation to try to reverse the overthrow of the elected government.
Nigeria cut off communications with a rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, who appealed on Wednesday from the Abuja hotel where he is held for his men to join forces with the army.
Washington, which is suspending the operation of its embassy in Freetown, said it opposed any use of force to bring back the civilian president, Mr Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.
In Ghana's capital Accra, a cabinet minister said President Jerry Rawlings was in telephone contact with Sierra Leone's new military leader, Maj Johnny Paul Koromah, trying 1,9 persuade him to negotiate a political settlement. Maj Koromah has yet to announce a government. The coup has been condemned at home and abroad.
A squadron of 15 helicopters ferried 330 Americans and 600 people from 40 other countries from a hotel in the capital Freetown to the US helicopter carrier USS Kearsarge lying 12 miles offshore.
A rush of frightened foreigners scrambling to leave. The number flown from a heliport in the grounds of the Mammy Yoko Hotel doubled what was expected. The last civilian passenger flown out was a young Lebanese woman in the early stages of labour. Doctors said they expected the baby to be delivered on the ship, which is expected to dock in Conakry, Guinea in two days.
Ghana said it was consulting with Nigeria and Guinea on the situation and prepared troop transport planes, officially to evacuate Ghanaian nationals living in Sierra Leone.
"Instructions have been given emanating from Nigeria that an invasion is to take place tomorrow morning," said a veteran politician, Mr John Karefa-Smart, who lost the March 1996 presidential election to Mr Kabbah.