The situation is confused. The UN says RUF is holding 500 UN peacekeepers, while the RUF says they are holding no one. The UN is trying to achieve a diplomatic resolution to its disputes with RUF. But basically, RUF is a gangster operation and they are more interested in protecting their illegal diamond mining operations and other criminal operations. The first of 1,000 British troops began arriving, including 500 paratroopers. Reports that RUF was advancing on the capital turned out to be false.