Liberia: Life goes on
2003-07-29 15:48
Monrovia - Crowds thronged the streets of Liberia's capital Monrovia on Tuesday for the first time in days despite sporadic gunfire as government and rebel forces fought for control of three key bridges.
Traders sold vegetables, cassava leaves and tinned provisions along the arterial UN Drive, near the offices of President Charles Taylor, emerging en masse from their homes or shelters after staying indoors for nearly two weeks.
Eastern areas bustled with people trying to buy food or provisions or relocate to safer areas.
Some displaced people were seen walking into Monrovia, frightened by news on Monday that Liberia's second city Buchanan had fallen to a smaller rebel group based in the south of the west African country.
A rumour was circulating that west African peacekeepers were set to arrive in Monrovia on Tuesday, even though regional military leaders meeting in Accra on Monday had failed to set a date for such a deployment.
The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) had pledged a 3 000 strong force earlier this month, and was set to announce deployment of some 1 500 Nigerian troops as a vanguard force, but reportedly decided on Monday that a small evaluation mission must be sent first.
The fighting in Monrovia has claimed hundreds of lives in two weeks, aggravating a cataclysmic humanitarian crisis.
Up to 200 000 people are living without shelter in the city, and little food or clean water or medicines are available.
In the eastern Congo Town district, a group of 10 women wearing white bandanas staged a prayer protest in a large field, saying they were fasting for the end of the brutal war that broke out nearly five years ago.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan issued a stern warning to the rebels late on Monday, saying: "I think by this reckless behaviour that is killing many innocent Liberians and making it impossible for us to deliver humanitarian assistance, they are disqualifying themselves from any future role in Liberian life."
Taylor, whose forces now control only around a fifth of the country following nearly five years of fighting, reaffirmed at the weekend he would quit in line with a west African-brokered peace plan, but repeated his demand that peacekeepers would have to arrive first.
He has accepted an offer of asylum in Nigeria.
And amid mounting anger over US inaction in the crisis, US President George W Bush last Friday ordered the deployment of an amphibious task force off the coast of Liberia - which was founded by freed American slaves in 1822 - but their mandate remains unclear.
US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz reiterated on Sunday that US forces would not enter the country without a ceasefire and until Taylor leaves power.
In the Guinean capital Conakry meanwhile a diplomat told AFP that US State Department official Pamela Bridgewater called on Guinea to halt its support for the Lurd.
Bridgewater, a deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, made the call during a weekend visit to Conakry, where she had talks with Guinean Foreign Minister Francois Fall, the diplomat said.
The diplomat said she voiced Washington's "indignation" over Guinea's alleged "active support" for Lurd, noting that spent cartridges from Guinean army weapons were found at the US embassy, which came under heavy shelling last week.
Bridgewater and Fall met at length with Lurd leader Sekou Damate Conneh during the US official's visit, the diplomat said.
The governments of Guinea and Liberia have long traded accusations of backing each other's rebel movements.