1 Nov 2002

Keke forced into a mountain refuge in Solomon Islands

4:12 pm on 1 November 2002

Police in Solomon Islands say that renegade Guadalcanal militant leader Harold Keke has retreated into a mountainous part of the remote Weather Coast.

The attempt to capture the Guadalcanal Liberation Front leader has now been in progress for several weeks.

With more here is Dorothy Wickham.

"Police say Keke has taken his wife, child, two house girls and his father, brother and sister in law with him to his hideout."

However they cannot sa whether his family members are being used as human shields or voluntarily followed him into the mountains.

Police sources who have just areturned from the Weather Coast, say they estimate he has between 20 and 30 followers still with him.

So far Keke has refused all appeals to surrender.