On 6 May, the RUF blocked the road connecting Freetown to Lungi Airport, prompting UNAMSIL staff to evacuate to the Mamy Yoko Hotel in preparation for a total withdrawal from Sierra Leone if the RUF advance continued towards Freetown.
Over the course of a week, British forces evacuated approximately 500 entitled persons from Sierra Leone-almost 300 of whom left in the first two days of the operation [REF].