Former child soldiers riot

2005-05-12 00:17

Monrovia - United Nations troops fired warning shots in the air to quell mobs of former child soldiers who rampaged through a town in northern Liberia on Wednesday, protesting against the failure of authorities to pay school fees promised under a disarmament campaign, said officials.

Cooper Kwanue, a local journalist, said the mob, made up mostly of former child soldiers who served in the army of ex-president Charles Taylor, hurled stones at shops and a voter registration centre in the northern town of Ganta, forcing hundreds of people to flee.

UN spokesperson Paul Risley said a contingent of Bangladeshi troops fired in the air, dispersed demonstrators and restored order in the town, near the border with Guinea.

Risley said: "The protest is over."

14 years of conflict

A nationwide programme to disarm ex-combatants in this war-ravaged West African nation officially ended in October with about 100 000 fighters laying down their arms after 14 years of conflict.

More than 11 000 fighters had since enrolled in primary and secondary schools and universities as part a campaign to reintegrate them into civilian life and bolster security in the country.

Tens of thousands of others had enrolled in skills training courses.

As part of the disarmament plan, the United Nations was supposed to help pay the fees. Risley said donor money had been slow in coming.

Risley said: "There is still a lot of money needed to be able to pay the tuition fees for these people. We need a lot more."

Kwanue said the majority of those rioting in Ganta were in their late teens, and needed money to attend middle schools and high schools.

Transitional head of state's visit

He said the authorities had threatened to expel those who failed to pay up.

Gyude Bryant, the transitional head of state, visited Ganta earlier on Wednesday, addressing the ex-fighters at a Methodist Church-owned basketball gymnasium, promising them they would not be kicked out of school.

Troubles began not long after Bryant left the town.

Kwanue said rioters hurled stones at a centre registering voters for October elections and tore down a camera that had been set up to photograph citizens for the ballot.

They also threw stones at shops.

Kwanue said one elderly woman was seriously injured.

Bangladeshi troops could be seen patrolling in armoured personnel carriers.

Thousands of UN peacekeepers had been deployed in Liberia since a 2003 peace deal ended years of war and saw Taylor exiled to Nigeria.

- SAPA