Bermudians are urged to join a letter writing campaign against the use of child soldiers in Sierra Leone.

Ayo Johnson, who is the local Amnesty International organiser on the issue, said around 3,000 Islanders had the recent successful campaign to urge diamond companies to boycott rebel-produced diamonds.

And he hopes Bermuda will chip in again to help end child soldiers being used to fight a bloody war that has raged between government and rebel forces in the West African nation since 1991.

Many of the 5,000 child soldiers have been forced to fight. Some have taken part in war crimes under the influence of drugs and drink, or simply out of fear.

A free lecture at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute next Thursday will help put locals in the picture.

Then people will be urged to write letters which will be sent to the government of Liberia, who has links with the rebel forces, the government of Sierra Leone and other international powers.

Mr. Johnson said: "The Sierra Leone government has already said to its senior commanders to stop recruiting child soldiers, but we want to pressure them to make sure they are implementing what they said.

"People can be totally swayed by the power of the masses really expressing their will. That's what we hope to do again.'' And Mr. Johnson said it would be brought home to army leaders that they could face repercussions under international law if they continued to recruit children.

He said "We want as many people as possible to join the campaign. Ideally the whole of Bermuda will do it.'' He said the letter campaign to urge diamond firms to stop buying from rebel forces had been very successful with the DeBeers company admitting pressure had forced them to address the issue.

"Almost every single major diamond industry association has signed up -- letter writing really does work,'' said Mr. Johnson, who was born in Sierra Leone and still has family there.

If you want to help the Amnesty International campaign call 296-3249.

See Lifestyles, Page 31 for more on Sierra Leone Raising awareness : Students of Saltus Grammar School learned about the crisis facing Sierra Leone from local activitists of the Sierra Leone Action Network, who came into their school to show them exhibits of the troubled country.

Pictured are activists Natasha Rosdol, far left, and Lynn Thompson, far right, with students Katherine Moore, Katy Luckhurst, Willis Fallon and Ezekiel Stoneham. For more on the situation in Sierra Leone, see Lifestyle, Page 31.