Evacuations as Monrovia suffers
2003-07-22 14:21
Monrovia - Desperate Liberians foraged for food and water during a lull in street battles on Tuesday, while serious fighting raged in the port area as a battle for the country's war-ravaged capital showed no sign of abating.
The day after a thunderous barrage of shells rained down on the city, defence minister Daniel Chea said the death toll from the fighting was way above 600 people.
There was no way to independently confirm the figure and aid groups and hospitals have put the number of dead above 90, but say they expect the number to rise.
On Monday, mortar barrages and some of the bloodiest fighting to date tore apart Liberia's capital.
Marines at a United States embassy compound evacuated foreign aid workers and journalists in helicopters.
In a phone interview on Monday, embattled Liberian President Charles Taylor repeated his call for a promised west African peacekeeping force to arrive quickly to "bring some sanity" to the nation founded by freed American slaves.
But Taylor said the best way to ensure stability was through US troops, in addition to the marines guarding the embassy. "An American contingent would be excellent."
His defence minister said if the international community did not swiftly deploy peacekeepers then a UN arms embargo should be lifted.
Need weapons to defend themselves
The embargo was imposed to punish Taylor's regime for trading guns for diamonds with rebels in Sierra Leone.
He said if the government could freely get arms, the international community "would not have to deploy anybody".
"We are quite capable of defending our own people," he said.
Monday's hail of mortars rocked residential neighbourhoods and two US embassy compounds in the rebels' third attempt to take Monrovia - Taylor's last stronghold. An American journalist was among the injured.
American helicopters landed in the embassy compound in driving rain on Monday, dropping off about half of a 41-member marine security team.
The troops, who were sent to beef up security at the embassy, evacuated about 23 foreign humanitarian workers and journalists.
Clutching bags and backpacks, the evacuees ran to the aircraft as marines and embassy officials shouted: "Go! Go!"
Among them were the United Nations' last seven foreign staffers, who had returned to Monrovia just two weeks earlier during a lull in fighting.
Bush still to decide on force
US officials announced that 4 500 more American sailors and marines have been ordered to position themselves closer to Liberia, if needed for an evacuation of Americans, peacekeeping or some other mission.
"We're concerned about our people," President George W Bush told reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
He indicated he had not yet decided the size of a US force that might be sent to help a promised west African peacekeeping mission in Liberia.
The state department criticised the rebel group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, for "reckless and indiscriminate shooting" and appealed to neighbouring African countries to guard against weapons going to Liberia.
Joe Wylie, a rebel delegate at peace talks in Ghana, said the government was also firing shells.
The rebels were "not responsible for shooting mortars into the embassy," Wylie said. "We have our backs to the US embassy... they (government forces) were shooting at us."
During 2½ hours of sustained mortar fire, a shell slammed into a US embassy residential compound where about 10 000 terrified Liberians had taken refuge, killing 25 people, said aid workers. Many more were wounded, including two Liberian embassy guards.
About 65 others have beenh killed in other strikes.
Went scouting for food
On Tuesday, fighting was focused in the port area as the sides exchanged heavy fire.
Chea said rebels made another attempt to take control of two bridges leading from the port to the downtown area, but that government troops held them off.
Residents, meanwhile, reported a sleepless night of intense looting by fighters.
Early Tuesday there was a lull in fighting although sporadic gunfire continued. People took the opportunity to go to streams and draw water and scout for food.
After Monday's blasts, enraged Liberians dragged bodies from the residential compound and lined them up in front of the embassy, next to a wall emblazoned with the American seal.
The group demanded to know why Washington had not sent troops to end more than a decade of strife in the west African nation.
"We're dying here," screamed some in the crowd, as two American servicemen in camouflage watched from behind bulletproof glass.
One man held up a hastily scrawled sign: "Today G Bush kill Liberia people."
On Tuesday, rain fell on the bodies, now covered in gray-and-blue plastic sheeting.
More than 360 people were injured - some hauled to the hospital in wheelbarrows, others screaming in pain.
Monday appeared to be the bloodiest in two months of fighting by rebels trying to seize the capital.
Among the injured was Tom Masland, an American who is Newsweek's African regional editor, who was hit in the arm by shrapnel.
Might make other demands
Taylor has pledged to resign and accept an offer of asylum in Nigeria - but only after peacekeepers arrive to ensure an orderly transition.
However, in his interview he also hinted he might make other demands of Bush before agreeing to step down.
"I have written him a letter outlining to him certain things that are necessary for me to step down and certain things that are necessary for me to leave the country," said Taylor, without elaborating.
Bush has said any deployment of US troops is conditional on the departure of Taylor, a former warlord indicted for war crimes in Sierra Leone, where he supported a brutal rebel movement.
Taylor launched Liberia's last civil war in 1989, emerging in 1996 as the strongest warlord. He was elected president the following year, and now faces rebels who include former rivals from the earlier war.
- AP