New
hope for weary Liberians (BBC)
Residents of the Liberian capital, Monrovia, have flooded onto the streets,
saying fighting has died down since the arrival of 10 peacekeepers.
The BBC's Paul Welsh in the city says that roads, which have been empty
during almost two weeks of intense fighting, are packed with tens of
thousands of people.
 |
| "One year old Blessing Milton,
weighing 4.1 kg, is weighed at the therapeutic feeding centre
run by the French aid agency 'Action Contre La Faim' (Action Against
Hunger) in the Liberian capital Monrovia Tuesday, July 29, 2003.
The supply of food to the besieged capital is becoming an increasing
problem leading to widespread malnourishment. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)"
- Yahoo photo album |
Inspectors
Arrive in Embattled Liberia (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - As shells crashed in the distance, an early inspection
team arrived in Liberia's capital to plan for a peacekeeping force
that will seek to stop a civil war pushing the country toward outright
chaos.
West
African Team Cheered by War-Weary Liberians (Reuters)
Hundreds of Liberians lined the streets of the besieged capital Monrovia
on Thursday, cheering West African military experts sent in to prepare
for the deployment of thousands of peacekeepers.
Those responsible
for robbing our children of their youthfulness must be brought to
justice - Say Liberians in the UK
The current fighting that commenced in the Liberian capital, Monrovia
on July 18th, 2003 having claimed over 700 lives is condemned in the
strongest possible terms by all peace loving Liberians. This brings
to three the number of onslaughts on the over populated city of Monrovia
between the rebels of the Liberian United for Reconciliation and Democracy
(LURD) and the Taylor government forces within the past two months.
Refugee Camp-based NGO Assists
Ageing Refugees
The Partnership for Democracy and Nation-Building
(PADENAB), a non-governmental organization based on the Buduburam
Refugee Camp, on July 26 distributed a consignment of food items valued
at $1,500 dollars. The items which include rice, oil and maggie cube
were distributed among nearly one thousand ageing refugees on the
camp.
Friends Of Brumskine
Identifies With Refugees In Ghana
More than 150 Liberian refugees on the Buduburam Camp in Ghana
were on Saturday, proud recipients of an assortment of food supply
donated by the United States branch of the Friends of Brumskine (FOB-USA).
The FOB is a friends club that shares Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine’s
political ambition for the Liberian presidency and his vision to deconstruct
and rebuild Liberia anew under the rule of law.
Heavy
Fighting Erupts in Liberia
(AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Heavy fighting raged in Liberia's besieged capital
Wednesday despite rebel declarations of a cease-fire, with President
Charles Taylor's troops battling rebels trying to advance on his downtown
stronghold.
Taylor &
his cronies, LURD and Model are Terrorist Organizations
Charles G. Taylor and his cronies, LURD and Model
are terrorist organizations. Like other terrorist organizations around
the world, their victims are mostly innocent and defenseless people.
Like Taylor and his gang of thugs, LURD and Model are not interested
in peace and security for the Liberian people. During the past twenty-three
years (since 1980), a combination of the three groups have terrorized
the Liberian people and subjected them to untold sufferings.
Dozens
Killed in Battle for Liberia's Second City (Reuters)
Dozens of civilians have been killed in fighting between rebels and
President Charles Taylor's forces for control of Liberia's second
city of Buchanan, residents said on Wednesday. Rebels seized the strategic
port city on Monday, tightening the noose around Taylor, a former
warlord who is battling with another rebel faction for control of
the capital Monrovia.
New
DEAL Movement Condemns the Renewed Fighting in Liberia
The New DEAL Movement, Liberia's social democratic
party, strongly condemns the LURD, MODEL and Charles Taylor forces,
the for the recent wave of fighting and the terror of death unleashed
on the innocent and armless people of Liberia. The fighting has resulted
in the death of more than 1000 civilians, while several others are
wounded and displaced. At this hour when delegates at the Accra Peace
Talks are working assiduously towards reaching a workable agreement
for peace and stability in Liberia, there is no justifiable reasons
for these trigger-happy gun-men to unleash yet another round of suffering
and death on the people of Liberia.
Marylanders for Progress
(Liberia) condemns the war in Liberia
Marylanders for Progress (Liberia) Inc., observes
with great dismay the indiscriminate attacks on the people of Liberia,
which have resulted in death and destruction. More than 30,000 citizens
from Maryland County fled and are now seeking tent space to lay their
heads while others are in open fields waiting to be helped at the
border city of Tabou and other villages in Cote d’Ivoire. The
basic cultural, social and economic structures of our people are being
destroyed by this senseless and unjust war.
In Response To
The Call For Cancellation of July 26
May I add my two cents worth to this call by some
for the cancellation of all events commemorating Liberia's Independence
Anniversary on July 26, due to the ongoing crises in Liberia. As a
critical thinker, I'm looking at the matter from a different perspective.
The
Conduct of Warlords and Politicians In a Stalled Peace Process
The Association of Liberian Journalists in the
Americas (ALJA), representing members of the Liberian media community
in theAmericas, is appalled and disappointingly disgusted over
reports of renewed fighting in Liberia and the apparent bickering
in Ghana, among political leaders and representatives of the warring
factions relative to the formation of an Interim Government.
 |
Sierra
Leone rebel leader dies (BBC)
Foday Sankoh, the leader of a 10-year terror campaign in Sierra
Leone, has died while waiting to be tried for war crimes.Sources
say he died from complications resulting from a stroke he suffered
last year. The spokesperson for the United Nations-backed war
crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone told BBC News Online that he had
died at 2240 GMT on Tuesday.Sankoh founded the Revolutionary United
Front (RUF) which became notorious for mass rape and hacking off
the hands, feet, ears and noses of thousands of civilians during
a 10-year civil war, which ended last year.
Brumskine
Upset Over Renewed Fighting
"...Our people do not deserve the suffering
they are going through. Why should innocent people die because
of the greed of others? God will you hear our prayers and save
our people from destruction." Those were the trembling words
of Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine.
Is
it getting too late to salvage Liberia?
"Whatever peacekeeping force that is coming
to Liberia, should be there today because tomorrow may be too
late. As we sit here and discuss a non-violent way to find a way
out of the crisis, people at home are dying by numbers! Whatever
anyone wants to do to help Liberia must be sped up," said
Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, Chairman of the Liberian Peoples Party
(LPP), speaking to us from Ghana.
In
Ghana: Liberians Celebrate 156th Independence Amid Chaos
Thousands of Liberian refugees, joined by several
others attending ongoing peace negotiations in Ghana on Saturday,
July 26, unenthusiastically commemorated the country’s 156th
Independence Anniversary. Liberia turned 156 amidst an imbroglio
in Monrovia that has reached a cataclysmic proportion, where one
of the world’s worse unspeakable and eye-catching human
catastrophes is taking place. Global efforts are slowly underway
to save the country from drowning into an ocean of tribal feud
and fratricidal bloodbath.
A Liberian
Family Goes on Hungry Strike to Protest LURD’s Continued
Attacks on the Liberian People
The atrocities that LURD is administering to the hapless
Liberian people have caused a Liberian family to go on hunger
strike. In a letter to this paper and other organizations, a Liberian
who only identified himself as Isaac D. Warner, Sr. says he and
his family are going on hunger strike to protest the carnage in
Monrovia.
Liberian
Rebels Capture Key Port City (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Rebels have captured Liberia's second-largest
city filled with refugees, depriving President Charles Taylor of his
last significant port outside the besieged capital.
Liberia's
Army Fights Back in Second City
(Reuters)
President Charles Taylor's forces fought back into Liberia's second
city Tuesday, vowing to oust rebels whose capture of the strategic
port marked a major setback for the embattled leader.
Liberian
army counter-attacks
(BBC)
Government forces in Liberia say they have launched a counter-attack
after the country's second city was taken by rebels. Defence Minister
Daniel Chea told the BBC that there was street fighting in Buchanan
as the army tried to prevent the rebels from bringing in supplies.
Liberian
rebel group ‘disqualifying’ itself from future leadership
role – Annan
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today demanded that a ceasefire
be respected in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, which has come under
lethal fire from rebels over the past week, and said one of the main
insurgent groups was disqualifying itself from any leadership role in
the future of the country.
Signing
the Peace Agreement NOW Will Pave the Way To Peace and Stability in
Liberia
Since June 4 Liberian stakeholders, which include the
Taylor regime, rebel factions and political parties, assembled in Ghana
to put together an interim political arrangement that would stop the
human tragedy unfolding in Monrovia. On June 17 the parties signed a
cease-fire agreement with provisions committing the parties, among other
things, to choose an interim governing body within 30 days that will
run the country until elections are held.
Fighting
in Liberia rages on three fronts
(Reuters)
Heavy gunfire rang out across Liberia's capital on Monday as rebels
and forces loyal to President Charles Taylor battled for key bridges
while fighting erupted in two strategic cities outside Monrovia.
 |
Fighting
Rages as Weary Liberians Forage for Food (Reuters)
Heavy gunfire rang out across Liberia's capital Monrovia Monday as
rebels and forces loyal to President Charles Taylor battled for key
bridges while desperate residents dodged bullets to search for food.
Leaders
Negotiate on Liberia Peace Force (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - West African, American and United Nations envoys
negotiated a long-promised peace force for warring Liberia, as shelling
persisted in the besieged capital and rebels and government forces
battled for strategic bridges.
Liberian
rebels near city centre (BBC)
Monrovia's main football stadium has become a refugee camp
Rebel troops have renewed their assault on the Liberian capital, Monrovia,
with heavy fighting around two key bridges.
Aid
workers wait, dodge bullets in Liberia
(Christian Science Monitor)
ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST – As fierce fighting continues to grip
Liberia's capital, Monrovia, aid work has become an exercise in opportunity.
During a break in the fighting, Paul Jaiblai, a water engineer for
the British aid group Oxfam, went on a one-man chlorination expedition
to a local school, while colleagues passed out a few bars of soap.
Kplio Association
Cendemns Renewed Fighting in Monrovia
The Kplio Association USA, Inc. is deeply troubled
and horrified by the continue fighting that is sweeping the lives
of unarmed and peace loving citizens in the embattled Liberian capital,
Monrovia. We are shocked by the utterances and the recent developments
coming from both the government and the rebel forces that the fighting
will continue until the last man perished.
Liberian
rebels push across key bridge towards Monrovia's airport (ABC)
Advancing Liberian rebels have pushed across a key bridge north of the
capital Monrovia as the US ambassador said President Charles Taylor
had agreed to honour a buffer zone further north.
Liberian
leader pledges to step down (The Guardian)
President Charles Taylor has urged international
peacekeepers to hurry to Liberia. This came as he renewed pledges
to step down when they arrive. US President George W Bush, who has
ordered US troops to Liberia's coast to support a promised West African
peace force, repeatedly has demanded that warlord-turned-president
Taylor cede power as part of any peace deal.
Taylor Bid Peace Force to Hurry (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia, July 26 -- President Charles Taylor today urged
international peacekeepers to hurry to Liberia, and he renewed pledges
to step down when they arrive. Meanwhile, shelling brought new carnage
to the capital.
Liberia
Fighting Spreads East (BBC)
Fighting is reported to have spread to eastern Liberia after a mortar
strike killed at least three people in a church filled with refugees
in the capital Monrovia.
Bishop Innis'
Appeal to Liberians for Peace , Reconciliation and Forgiveness
First, let us begin this appeal by giving thanks and praise to God
for listening to our concerns and hearing our cries in recent times
for peace in Liberia. Second, we would like to express our heart-felt
thanks and appreciation to President Bush and all peace-loving Americans
for the active role they are beginning to play in the Liberian situation.
It is our prayer that God will keep speaking to the heart of President
Bush to help us out of our trouble.
Civilians under
attacks in Liberia: How much longer should the massacre continue?
Paris, July 25 2003 - The FIDH is highly concerned
about the dramatic humanitarian crisis in Liberia. The continuing
fighting between the LURD rebels -Liberians United for Reconciliation
and Democracy-, the Model rebels -Movement for Democracy in Liberia-
and Taylor’s government forces has caused the death of more
than 600 people in less than five days, and sources report that more
than one million people, out of the three million inhabitants in the
country, are currently displaced. The extremely poor health situation
in the capital, Monrovia, has led to outbreaks of serious diseases,
including cholera, measles and malaria.
A Case For ECOMOG
Please allow me to make a case for ECOMOG, and ask
Liberians to redirect their energies to convincing West African leaders
to send in ECOMOG, to salvage the situation in our country, rather
than expecting and looking for help from elsewhere that may never
come.
Shelling
Kills 3, Injures 55 in Liberia (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Besieged residents of Liberia's
capital came under new, deadly shelling Saturday, with a mortar slamming
into a church harboring thousands of refugees, killing at least three
and wounding about 55 others.
Mortar
Kills Six in Monrovia as U.S. Troops Poised
(Reuters)
Seven people were killed when a mortar bomb crashed into a church
in the Liberian capital on Saturday, a day after President Bush ordered
U.S. troops into position off the West African country.
International Volunteer
Peacekeepers for Liberia
We, the International Volunteer Peacekeepers for Liberia
(IVPKL) have organized a press conference for the day of Monday, 28
July 2003 at 11 AM. Members of the International Volunteer Peacekeepers
for Liberia will gather at the James Allen Center, Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois, to discuss the current situation in Liberia and
the need for the United States’ government to send peacekeepers
to Liberia.
"When
Elephants Fight": Hapless Liberians Caught in a Triangle of
International Diplomatic Intrigue
As the world waits for the United States
Government, the United Nations and West African heads of state to
resolve conflicting differences over sending troops to Liberia,
the innocent Liberian, never party to either the actual war or the
ongoing triangle of international diplomatic fiasco is indeed the
true victim. The saying, "when elephants fight, it is the grass
that suffers," became alarmingly clear when I tried to assure
my nervous teenage niece in Monrovia on Wednesday via a cellular
phone that the peacekeepers might still arrive.
 |
LIBERIA:
The Failure of Africa and United States Leadership
For the past few days, I have looked repeatedly
at the picture shown by BBC and other news agencies of the young
man carrying his probably pre-teen dead daughter on his back after
her death from the ongoing madness in Liberia. For that young man,
life may never be pure and legitimate again. As I look at the picture,
one thing clearly comes to mind: the failure of African leaders
and President George Bush to end the madness in Liberia. A bloodthirsty
tyrant in the guise of a president has literally pushed that once
peaceful and proud country into unimaginable abyss since 1989.
Shelling
Hits U.S. Embassy in Liberia (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Artillery shells crashed into the U.S.
Embassy compound and refugee-crowded neighborhoods around it Friday,
killing at least 12 Liberian men, women and children and wounding
more than 100 people in the bloodiest barrage in days.
Mortars
Thud as Liberia's Human Disaster Grows (Reuters)
Mortar bombs pounded Liberia's capital on Friday, killing at least
12 in a besieged city where terrified people poised on the edge
of a humanitarian disaster begged for help from foreign troops.
Shelling
batters Liberian capital (BBC)
A mortar attack on central Monrovia kills eight refugees at a school
in the fiercest bombardment for days. The BBC's Paul Welsh in Monrovia
says that one shell landed in the playground near a group of people
who were washing or preparing a breakfast, killing them all.
Rebels Battle for Liberian Port (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Rebels and government forces
battled with guns and grenades at Monrovia's strategic port Thursday,
while West African leaders insisted they were speeding the first
peacekeepers to stop fighting overrunning the refugee-crowded capital.
Open Petition to the United States Government
Achieving Peace and Democracy in Liberia: An Open Petition to the
United States Government Liberia holds the key to ending conflict
and encouraging the growth of democracy in West Africa. The people
of Liberia, furthermore, have a special trust in the United States'
good will and ability to assist them. For these reasons, we, the
undersigned network of Liberians, international scholars, business
professionals and supporters of Liberia, call on the United States
to take the lead in ending the violence and the humanitarian crisis,
and in working toward peace.
The Conspiracy
Of Silence: The Liberian Dilemma
The world watches quietly as thousands of Liberians
are slaughtered daily by marauding band of killers and thieves,
which goes under the banner of Liberians United for Reconciliation
and Democracy, LURD. As this tragedy unfolds on the streets of Monrovia
and elsewhere in the country, the leaders of this callous bunch
of killers, Kabineh Jan’eh, Joe Wylie and Charles Bennie are
in Accra, Ghana participating in "peace" talks with
other Liberians, politicians and civil society, under the aegis
of The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and The
International Contact Group on Liberia, ICGL, as well as the European
Union.
Rebels
Briefly Take Key Bridge in Liberia (Associated Press)
MONROVIA, Liberia - West African leaders promised to send peacekeepers
to Liberia (news - web sites) despite new rebel attacks that shattered
a short-lived cease-fire considered crucial to restoring peace in
the troubled country.
Grand
Gedeh Association in the Americas, Inc. Condemns Fighting in Monrovia
The Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas, Inc
is utterly appalled by the resumption of fighting between LURD and
the Government of Liberia forces in Monrovia. We are especially
outraged that the diplomatic enclave of Mamba Point, normally a
refuge for helpless civilians, is being targeted in the fight for
Monrovia. There can be no excuse for this heartless act and for
the death of the many innocent civilians. Let there be no mistake
about the resolve of the Liberian people to oppose any attempt to
seize state power through the force of arms.
Fighting
in Liberia as Peacekeepers Poised (Associated Press)
MONROVIA, Liberia (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Liberian President
Charles Taylor battled rebels for the sixth day in the capital Monrovia
Thursday as West African countries inched closer to deploying peacekeepers.
Water
crisis in Liberian capital (BBC)
Supplies of safe drinking water have run out in most parts of the
Liberian capital, Monrovia, increasing fears that cholera and other
illnesses are likely to spread rapidly. The water supply was cut
by an attack on the water pumping station five days ago and most
storage tanks are now empty.
Nigerian
troops will lead peace effort (Washington Times)
West African leaders decided yesterday to send "urgently"
1,300 Nigerian troops to war-torn Liberia as a "vanguard"
of a multinational forced, meeting a key condition set by Washington
for U.S. military contribution.
Liberia
promised Nigerian troops (BBC)
People are queuing for food... aid agencies warn of disaster
More than 1,000 Nigerian peace-keepers will be sent to Liberia within
a week, West African leaders have said. Speaking in Senegal, the
head of the West African regional grouping Ecowas, Mohammad ibn
Chambas, told the BBC he hoped all Liberians would respect a ceasefire.
 |
| Liberian women queued as they barricaded
the main entrance of the conference hall |
At Peace
Talks, Women Barricade Conference Hall To Protest Carnage In Monrovia
It was a moment of sadness when dozens of Liberian
women Tuesday barricaded the conference hall, physically preventing
representatives of the warring parties as well as other Liberian stakeholders
from leaving the hall. The delegates were due to have gone for their
lunch break but the women prevented them leaving. Representatives
of warring and political parties as well as civil society groups had
gathered Tuesday to deliberate on their observations on the draft
comprehensive peace deal for Liberia.
HIV/AIDS
in Africa: Did President Bush Visit to Africa Move Remedial Efforts
Forward?
President recently completed a lightning five-day, five-nation visit
to Africa. During this visit, Africa was constantly in the news as
the President moved from one nation to the other. A major question
has been the impact of the president's visit on HIV/AIDS remedial
efforts in Africa. Did President Bush visit move forward the agenda
for HIV/AIDS remedial efforts in Africa? I briefly explore this question
from five perspectives.
Liberian
Rebels Announce Cease-Fire
MONROVIA, Liberia - West African defense chiefs struggled to finalize
the details of a peacekeeping force for war-battered Liberia, as rebels
announced a cease-fire and aid groups warned that many people in the
capital were running out of food.
|
Shells
pound Liberia capital (BBC)
Liberians are desperate for peacekeepers to end the fighting
Liberia's rebels are continuing their assault on the situation in
the capital, Monrovia, as peace talks make little headway.
Draft Peace
Argeement
Having met in Akosombo and Accra, Ghana, from 4 June, 2003 to ……July
2003, to seek a negotiated settlement of the crisis in Liberia, within
the framework of the ECOWAS Peace Process for Liberia under the auspices
of the current Chairman of ECOWAS and the mediation of General Abdulsalami
Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria;
Liberian
rebels 'told to stop fighting' (The
Guardian)
Liberian rebels today ordered their forces in the capital to stop fighting,
according to a leading rebel negotiator at peace talks in Ghana.
Deaths
mount in Liberian capital (BBC)
Shelling and fierce fighting have resumed in Liberia's capital for
a fourth day, as warnings grow of a humanitarian disaster. Liberian
rebels are clashing with forces loyal to President Charles Taylor
in the port area of the city in what is the third battle for the capital
in two months.
Liberia: Unfulfilled
and Unrealized Promise
My fellow Liberians, our country has deeply failed. We have shown
ourselves to be incompetent at self-government; incapable of protecting
the lives of our citizens; inept at providing for the well-being and
future of our children; inefficient at managing and developing the
resources of our country; and ineffectual in building a society grounded
in the constitutional rule of law, which offers equal opportunities
for all Liberians. Our independence, our nation, our country, our
republic, has evolved into but unfulfilled and unrealized promises,
and a place of despair and despondency.
Oppositions
Political Parties Demand an Immediate Halt to the Military Madness
in Monrovia
Representatives of all Liberian opposition
political parties attending the Liberia Peace Talks in Accra express
utter disgust and grave consternation over the resumption of military
hostilities by two of the belligerent forces in Monrovia for the third
time since the signing of the ceasefire agreement on June 17, 2003.
We categorically condemn this renewed fighting between the forces
of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the
Government of Liberia (GOL) and demand an immediate halt to the military
madness which continues to aggravate the agony and suffering of the
Liberian people.
Some Contentious Issues
in the Draft Peace Agreement
The ‘Draft Comprehensive Peace Agreement’
presented by Mediators at the ongoing Peace Conference on Liberia
created mixed feelings among the delegates. Equally, it is impregnated
with some contentious issues that should be addressed before it is
too late.
Liberia
Death Toll May Be Over 600
(Associated Press)
MONROVIA, Liberia - The death toll from Monday's fighting in the Liberian
capital of Monrovia is well over 600, according to Defense Minister
Daniel Chea. There was no way independently to confirm the figure
and aid groups and hospitals have put the number of dead above 90,
but say they expect the number to rise.
MDCL
Condemns LURD's Attempts to Seize Power by Force
The Movement for Democratic Change in Liberia, (MDCL),
views with disdain the wicked and callous attempts, by the self-styled,
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, LURD, to forcibly
seize control of our capital city, Monrovia. We are shocked by the
total lack of concern on the part of LURD for the continued loss of
life of innocent Liberians, as well as the peril posed to those who
remain barely alive. This action by LURD constitutes an affront to
the efforts being exerted by Liberians and members of the international
community in Ghana to find a peaceful settlement to the years of carnage
and killings.
Women:
Liberia's Final Answer For Peace
Plato, one of the world's greatest philosophers, said:
"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics
is that you end up being governed by your inferiors". This is
a wake up call for all well-meaning Liberians, especially Liberian
women.
LUP Expresses Grave Concern Over The Renewed
Fighting in Liberia
The Liberian Unification Party (LUP) expresses grave concern over
the renewed fighting in Monrovia and elsewhere in Liberia. From our
partisans on the ground, we have learned that the latest fighting
has almost certainly broken down any semblance or perception of law
and order in Monrovia as combatants here have taken to looting and
terrorizing innocent civilians while rockets rain on the city.
The Terror Continues
in Monrovia
The thrust by the Liberians United for Peace and Reconciliation
(LURD) rebels for the control of Monrovia continues. They rebels are
in control the areas from Brewerville to the Gabriel Tucker and Waterside
bridges, including the strategic Freeport of Monrovia. At the two bridges,
remnants of Taylor fighters who are still loyal to him are putting up
resistance. This has become a do or die situation for the loyalists
. For his part, President Taylor has told residents of Monrovia that
he would not leave. He said he would prefer to die with them.
Heavy
Liberia Shelling Kills More Than 90 (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - A thunderous barrage of mortars shook Liberia's
capital Monday, hitting residential neighborhoods along with two U.S.
Embassy compounds, and killing more than 90 people as government and
rebel forces fought over President Charles Taylor's last stronghold.
4,500
U.S. Troops Set for Liberia Duty (AP)
WASHINGTON - Some 4,500 more American sailors and Marines have been
ordered to position themselves closer to Liberia to be ready for possible
duty in the embattled West African nation, officials said Monday.
Comprehensive Peace
Deal Under Review At Peace Talks - VP Blah To Act As President Until…
Delegates including warring and political parties and representatives
of civil society groups attending the Liberian peace summit in Accra
have begun reviewing the draft of the comprehensive peace agreement
for Liberia. West African and Western mediators seeking peace for
the country released the document Friday night
A Member of the Dictators'
Club Speaks Up: President Bakili Muluzi Defends Comrade Taylor
The president of Malawi, Bakili Muluzi, recently voiced
an opinion against President Charles Taylor's "exit plan".
He referred to the situation as "usurping democracy". According
to President Muluzi, "since Taylor was elected democratically
by the Liberian people, it is wrong for rebels, with the support of
other democratic countries to force him out". He argues that
the "Taylor exit plan" is tantamount to a "coup d'etat".
Heavy
Shelling Near U.S. Embassy in Liberia
(Reuters)
At least 20 mortar bombs smashed into the diplomatic quarter close
to the U.S. embassy compound, killing at least three people, as fighting
raged in Liberia's capital Monrovia on Monday.
 |
Liberia
battle hampers aid efforts
(BBC)
Doctors at two makeshift hospitals run by Medecins Sans Frontieres
(MSF) say the recent shooting and mortar bombardment between government
militias and rebel troops have made it nearly impossible to treat
patients.
Who Heads
Liberia’s Interim Administration? A Personality Profile Of Bishop
Augustus B. Marwieh and Dr. George Toe Washington
Liberians at home and in the Diaspora continue to wait indefinitely
as nearly two months of intensive political deliberations amongst
the country’s 18 registered political parties as well as civil
society groups have so far failed to produce an interim administration
that should culminate into an acceptable framework for peace in the
country.
U.S.
Calls on Liberians to Cease Fighting (Reuters)
The United States on Sunday called for an immediate end to intensified
fighting in Liberia and urged the country's neighbors to block the flow
of arms to combatants.
Blasts
Hit Liberia Capital, Locals Flee (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Heavy explosions and machine-gun fire shook
Liberia's war-battered capital Saturday as rebels punched into the city,
sending tens of thousands of panicked residents and weary fighters streaming
downtown.
Rebel Troops Push Into Liberian Capital (AP)
Rebels battling to oust President Charles Taylor pushed into the capital Saturday, as thousands of civilians and government soldiers fled the assault
Liberian rebels enter capital (BBC)
Refugees walk past fortifications at St Paul's Bridge
It is the third time this month that rebels have sent the population fleeing
Rebel forces have entered the Liberian capital Monrovia after taking a crucial river crossing, the government says.
Liberia: ICG urges U.S. to lead a robust multinational force
Washington DC/Brussels, 16 July 2003: The International Crisis Group called today for speedy decision and action by the Bush Administration to respond to the crisis in Liberia by committing the United States to leading the deployment there of a robust multinational stabilisation force (MNF).
Liberian Troops Bolster Defenses, Rebels Advance (Reuters) - Hardened young fighters loyal to Liberian President Charles Taylor scrambled to reinforce roadblocks around Monrovia on Friday as rebels advanced on the capital, raising fears of another bloody battle on its streets.
Liberia Needs Trusteeship Not Interim Government
For one hundred and fifty six years, history has shown that Liberians
lacked fundamental aptitude of good governance. Good governance
based on the rule of law, and the basic notion that a leader is
a servant of the people not their master. We have failed ourselves
miserably, therefore should not squandered another opportunity by
putting together another quick fix interim government which will
not stand the test of time.
Liberia's
'Pappay' Begins to Say Goodbyes (Reuters)
MONROVIA (Reuters) - Murmurs of condolence carried a note of added
poignancy on Friday as Liberian President Charles Taylor prepared
to bury his mother and then head into a life of exile under U.S.
pressure.
Rebel
push on Liberian capital
(BBC)
Liberian rebels are again engaged in fierce fighting with government
forces near the capital. This is the third time in a month that
the rebels have advanced to the edge of the city.
New Fighting Erupts Near Liberian Capital (AP)
MONROVIA, Liberia - As negotiators pushed back the deadline for a political settlement in Liberia, government officials on Thursday accused the rebels of launching a fresh push on the beleaguered capital, swollen with refugees from previous fighting
US Advances Framework For Peace In Liberia---LURD, MODEL Hope Dashed
Representatives of the United States at the ongoing Liberian peace talks in Ghana have advanced a document appearing to be a roadmap for a political settlement of the long-running fratricidal civil conflict in the country. Moreover, the proposal comes barely a day to the expiration of the deadline required by the June 17 truce which among other things, called for the formation of an interim administration to replace President Charles Taylor and his government.
Speaking Out From the Diaspora
I applauded Ms. Jewel Howard-Taylor for standing by her husband.
Notwithstanding, I was also appalled, when, on CNN, Saturday, July
12, 2003, she graded her husband favorably for good governance of
Liberia since his election. I believe she could have done a better
job of being a wife while evaluating the 69 months rule of her husband’s
regime as a progressive citizen, who sees the daily suffering of
the Liberian people from the Executive Mansion, her Sinkor office
and Congotown residence, assuming he dwells with her since she is
the first of the First Ladies. A vast majority of these people are
Liberians who do not have or cannot afford any basic necessity of
a modern environment in the 21th Century: water, food, shelter,
healthcare and electricity.
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| A Poll (unscientific) conducted by a group of Liberian youth and exiled student leaders puts Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (L) at the top of all candidates for the Interim Presidency, followed by Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh (R) et al |
Big Rush For Jobs At Liberian Peace Summit
As Liberian political parties, civil society and warring groups brainstorm over the structure and composition of an interim arrangement to replace President Charles Taylor and his government, politicians attending ongoing peace summit in Ghana are quietly intensifying their lobby in a bid to head the government.
True Whig Party Chairman Seeks Interim Presidency ---As Parties Divided Over Who Succeeds Taylor
As negotiations at the ongoing peace conference on Liberia reach a crucial point this week in Accra, Ghana, the Chairman of Liberia's oldest political party, yesterday declared his intention to seek the interim presidency.
LURD Rescinds Decision To Attack Peacekeepers
The largest rebel group attending ongoing Liberian peace talks in Accra has rescinded its decision to attack the multi-national stabilization force, which is expected to police the truce signed between the two rebel groups and the Government.
Taylor under 'huge pressure' (News24)
Monrovia - Liberia's embattled President Charles Taylor will step down in line with a peace formula to end a four-year civil war but is under "tremendous pressure" not to go into exile, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The African Union: Still an Exclusive Club
In a previous article, "From OAU to AU: Same Old Lady, New Dress", I commented on the modus operandi of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). I was critical of its state of affairs and expressed skepticism of its future role on the continent as it changed and shortened its official name. I poked fun at the acronym, OAU, referring to it as "old and ugly".
"In Order For Evil To Triumph, Good People Do Nothing"
There seems to be some semblance of relief in sight or perhaps a sign of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the immediate future for Liberians, whose people for almost 14 years have been forced to live like nomads - living from place to place because of the misrule of one individual, Charles Taylor. Liberians, as well as their neighbors in the region, therefore welcomed Taylor's decision to resign and seek asylum in Nigeria.
U.S. Assessment Receives Rousing Welcome In Charles Taylor's Stronghold Bong County (The Inquirer)
The United States Humanitarian and Military Assessment team in Liberia on last Saturday, paid a one-day visit to Bong County, as momentum for the deployment of a U.S--backed multi-national peacekeeping force in the country continues to build up among Liberians.
President Bush Vows to End Liberia's War (The Inquirer)
President George Bush says the United States will be "active" in Liberia though he is yet to determine whether that would mean sending American troops to the country.
World Council of Churches Appointed Liberian (The Inquirer)
Dr. Laurence Konmla Bropleh, a prominent Liberian living in the United States of America has been named as the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ambassador to the United Nations. He is to monitor all UN processes and inform the WCC of the world body's activities.
"Monoprix" Loses L$95m Goods (The Inquirer)
The over 50,000 residents of Bushrod Island and its environs will have
to travel miles for supermarket shopping. This is due to the looting and
subsequent burning of the nation’s oldest supermarket following
the recent gun battle between the Liberian Government forces and the rebels
Liberian United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).
Charles
Taylor Vows to Reject Government Outside Liberian constitution (The
Inquirer)
The Liberian leader President Charles Ghankay Taylor
says any attempt to fashion or put together a government outside of
the Liberian constitution at the ongoing peace talks in Accra, Ghana,
will not stand.
Lawsuit
Hangs Over Superintendent For Looting In Central Liberia (The
Inquirer)
A prominent Liberian businessman in Nimba County,
has threatened to sue the newly appointed Superintendent of Bong County
for "looting and/or auto-boosting and damages"
Charles
Taylor Objects to Trusteeship
(The Inquirer)
President Charles Ghankay Taylor has objected to suggestion
in some quarters for Liberia to become a protectorate of the United
Nations.
Threat to International Force is a Manifestation of LURD's Sheer Greed for Power
At a time when the situation in Liberia cries out for international intervention to help stop the killing frenzy and stem the tide of indiscriminate violence, one would think Liberians to the interim governing arrangement negotiations in Ghana would concentrate all their energy on the national interest. But this is not case in Ghana where leading Liberians are gathered to plot the future of the country.
LURD's Threats To Fight The Stabilization Force
The statement from LURD insinuating threats to the possible intervention or peacekeeping force is utterly sad and idiotic. Not only does this show the incompetence of these individuals and their incapability to contribute an iota towards peace, the democratic process and long term stability, it also signifies their lust for power, their selfish intents, their treachery, and worst of all their ignorance. Regardless of the circumstances or the complexities engulfing the peace process, one would assume that every Liberian would opt for a less brutal means of securing peace and instituting a better political environment.
Annan Nudges Bush on Liberian Troops Decision (Reuters)
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan nudged President Bush on Monday to send U.S. troops to Liberia as he met with U.S. officials on conflicts in Africa and peace in the Middle East.
Threats to International Force do not "Reflect the Known Position of LURD" - Say LURD's Negotiators in Ghana
When we signed the June 17, 2003, ceasefire agreement against our own suspicions that are based on the track record of Mr. Charles Taylor, it was a continuous demonstration of our confidence in ECOWAS and the international community with the hope of bringing immediate relief to the suffering Liberian population. Since that time, Liberia has claimed the attention of the world community to the point that prominent members of the United Nations are now showing willingness to help the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stabilize the situation in Liberia.
We Commend The Peace Efforts, But (The Inquirer)
AS THE CRISIS in the country continues with efforts being extolled to find a solution by the sub-region and the International Community, It has been announced that 1000 Peace-keepers from Nigeria, Ghana and Mali are expected in the country within the period of two weeks.
Geoservices Provides Pure And Safe Drinking Water To Hundreds Of Displaced Liberians(The Inquirer)
A Liberian Geo-physicist Dr. Nathaniel Richardson has
voluntarily drilled a 50-ft water well for thousands of internally displaced
people who fled the recent upsurge of fighting around the capital city,
Monrovia currently seeking refuge at the Didhwo Tweh Memorial High School,
now a displaced center in the densely populated borough of New Kru Town.
Nigerian Opposition Rejects Taylor's Asylum ---Asks Obassanjo to "Discontinue Discussion"
Nigeria's main opposition party, the All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP), has sharply protested the decision by President Olusegun Obassanjo to offer asylum to Liberia's embattled President Charles McArthur Taylor.The ANPP, in a statement issued on Tuesday July 8, 2003 and signed by Mr. Abdulrahoof Bello, Media and Publicity Secretary, said the granting of asylum to Mr. Taylor amounts to an affront to the psyche of Nigerians, especially the widows and children of peacekeepers and the families of Nigerians killed by Mr. Taylor in the Liberian crisis.
Somali Talks in Kenya: "The Drunk who lost his keys ..." (Ayaamaha)
A drunk who had lost the keys to his home was on his knees looking for them under a street lamp, when a passerby offers to help in the search, but after some time with no success, the passerby asked the drunk, "Where did you lose your keys?" The drunk replied, "outside my front door." "Then why are we looking for them out here under the street lamp?" asked the passerby. "Because," replies the passerby, "there is more light here." The Somali reconciliation conference currently underway in Kenya is being conducted like the search for the drunk's keys.
Into Liberia's Tragedy
Wracked by interminable and innumerable crises - from brutal civil wars, famine, the AIDS epidemic, political instability and vapid corruption - Africa can use a little more international attention and care. Doubtless, President Bush's trip to Africa July 7-12 would shine a needed spotlight on Africa. As he leaves for Africa, there have been increasing calls for American intervention in Liberia, a country established in 1847 by freed American slaves.
LURD Threatens to Fight Stabilization Force
In a press release issued today, the LURD rebel group threatens to fight any stabilization force that is deployed before Taylor leaves Liberia.
US to decide on troops to Liberia (Boston Globe)
RETORIA, South Africa -- The Bush administration is likely to decide by early next week whether to send US troops to Liberia, but Western African nations and the United Nations would lead any peacekeeping effort, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said last night.
Should We Amend The Current Constitution Before Elections?
Fellow Liberians, as is characteristic of us when it comes to focusing on relevant issues, I see us once again over focus on the main issue, but losing touch with what makes the main issue work well.
Almost every Liberian that has shown some interest in our national plight, and many of them are now very, or may I dare to say, over focus on events that are taking place in Ghana, relative to the in-coming transitional government (T-GOL).
Liberians Cry Out For U.S. Rescue (Philadelphia Inquirer)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Victor Brewer has no job, and home is a grimy refugee camp. He struggles every day to find food for the dinner table. His children are primary-school dropouts.
And if the government soldiers aren't harassing him, then it's the rebels plaguing the countryside who stop him from visiting his village.
Liberians Plead for U.S. Intervention (Washington Post)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Liberian villagers hoping for an American-led rescue mission stormed a runway Wednesday as U.S. military experts toured an airfield as part of efforts to decide whether to send peacekeeping troops to the West African country.
Peacekeepers off to Liberia (BBC)
The first contingent of 1,000 West African peacekeepers are to be deployed in Liberia within two weeks, the BBC has learnt. The decision follows a meeting of West African leaders and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan in Mozambique ahead of a summit of African Union leaders.
Bush Pledges Role in Liberia Crisis (Washington Post)
PRETORIA, South Africa - President Bush pledged Wednesday that the United States will "be involved" in war-torn Liberia but said he would not overextend U.S. armed forces if he sends troops there to join a peacekeeping force.
The Liberian Crisis: A Call To Action
FRIENDS OF LIBERIA is deeply concerned by the escalating crisis in Liberia. Immediate action by the United States is required to help establish peace and stability in Liberia and the region.
A Liberian Calls On UN to Establish Trusteeship Rule for Liberia
A Liberian Citizen, and former Coordinator of the Religious Youth Services, of the Unification Church in Liberia, Mr. Alfred G. Lincoln, is proposing to the United Nations the establishment of a Trusteeship form of governance for Liberia.
Bush Vows to Work with Africans, U.N. on Liberia (Reuters)
DAKAR (Reuters) - President Bush pledged on Tuesday to work with the United Nations and African states to maintain a fragile cease-fire in Liberia, but said no decision had been made yet on sending U.S. peacekeepers.
Liberia's Taylor Waiting for Peacekeepers (Associated Press)
MONROVIA, Liberia - Fingering a ceremonial wooden cane, Liberia's President Charles Taylor insisted he is ready to resign after six years of being considered the most feared and loathed leader in West Africa.
Moniba For Interim Government?
While members of the international community are discussing peace keeping mission for Liberia via an intervention force, Liberia's warring factions, political parties, and representatives of civic society, are holding their own behind closed door discussions on a political arrangement for Liberia, once Mr. Taylor exists the scene.
The Doctrine of Oppression
Throughout their homes, schools, churches, mosques, and public gatherings, the people will tell their children about a past Monrovia regime. This regime had no respect for age. Like devils sent from hell, it traveled the land like locusts, killing and torturing anyone who opposed its rule. It brought wars that killed, raped, and maimed more than 500,000 West Africans, and it left more than a million people displaced. This was a time of great human suffering.
Liberian president accepts exile, but no date set for exit (Seattle Times)
Liberian President Charles Taylor, right, and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo walk through the Roberts International Airport, east of the Liberian capital of Monrovia yesterday. Liberia's embattled president, Charles Taylor, yesterday accepted an offer of asylum in neighboring Nigeria, but gave no timeframe for quitting power.
US military team in Liberia (BBC)
The 20-strong group of military civil affairs specialists is being seen as a possible forerunner of a larger US peacekeeping force.
Bush Clock is Ticking for Charles Taylor
As US hammers finishing nails on the plan for a peacekeeping mission in Liberia, Liberians throughout the country and in the Diaspora are celebrating because they are convinced that the days of the "monster" who terrorized their beloved country and the West African sub-region are numbered. On Thursday, CNN quoted Liberian government source as saying that the Bush administration had given Mr. Taylor 48 hours to leave Liberia. On Friday Mr. Taylor said that he would step down. Reuters later reported that Mr. Taylor has accepted the safe haven offer from the Nigerian government.
Liberia's Taylor Agrees to Go if Peacekeepers Land (Reuters)
Liberian President Charles Taylor, under U.S. pressure to quit, said Friday he had agreed to step down but urged the world to send peacekeepers to prevent chaos in the aftermath.
UN must use force in Congo and Liberia (Boston Globe)
THE CRISIS in the Congo, and to a lesser extent Liberia, throws into relief an issue that has long lain at the doorstep of the UN - whether or not to authorize the use of an almighty force and a civilian occupying administration.
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| Demonstrators Demand Taylor's departure from Liberia |
George W. Bush, Charles G. Taylor And ECOWAS
The billions of people living on Planet earth would say from the start that the mere thought of pinning these two men against each other could only be the result of a fantasy, born out of the mind seeking drama where there is none. After all, George Bush is the incontestable and uncontested leader of the world most powerful nation.
Liberia's Taylor to Quit, Nigeria Offers Asylum (Reuters)
MONROVIA (Reuters) - Liberian President Charles Taylor, under U.S. pressure to quit, said on Friday he had agreed to step down but wanted to wait until an international force was in place before leaving office.
Liberia leader offers to go (BBC)
Liberia President Charles Taylor has offered to step down but only when an international peacekeeping force has been deployed. He has previously offered to resign but only when his term of office expires next January. United States President George Bush this week urged him to leave the country for the sake of peace and Nigeria has been mentioned as a possible "safe exile".
Liberia is Counting on America
As the crisis in Liberia escalated to a devilish level once again - as people died and others became displaced and cramped in unhealthy quarters and the threat of epidemic diseases became imminent - the calls came again. They came from diverse sources such as European and African governments, editorials of major US dailies, former American government officials, international humanitarian agencies and the United Nations as well as from Liberians of all persuasions...
Bush Exploring U.S. Peacekeeping Options in Liberia (AP)
Under pressure to send U.S. troops to the West African state of Liberia to help end a brutal civil war, President Bush said yesterday he is exploring all his options, and called on President Charles Taylor to leave the country.
UN prosecutors pledge to chase Liberia's Taylor (The Age)
UN prosecutors said today they would pursue Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges, even if he flees into exile. UN diplomats said yesterday that Taylor had been offered asylum in Nigeria, but that he rejected it because the authorities could not guarantee he would not face extradition.
US marines on stand-by for Liberia deployment (The News)
WASHINGTON : A team of several dozen US Marines is on standby in Spain for possible deployment to the war-torn African country of Liberia to reinforce security at the US Embassy in the capital of Monrovia, Pentagon sources said on Wednesday.
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President Bush
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An Urgent Call For Help!!!!
Liberia is a small West African nation that was founded in 1822 by freed American slaves. It has a population of about 3 million people. A barbaric despot and tyrant (Charles McArthur Taylor) who started a civil war on Christmas Eve 1989 has caused so much harm to Liberia and the West African sub-region that words are not enough to describe the situation. For example more that 270,000 people have died in Liberia over the last 14 years.
The Liberian Peace Process: A Realistic Platform For Genuine Peace
I am a Liberian residing in the US due to the prevailing socio-political and economic state of affairs in Liberia. Liberia has been engulfed in a civil crisis that has not only destroyed every fabric of the society and the political system, but has also destroyed the Liberian people. Amongst the many questions being asked, the ultimate is 'Can the Liberian crisis be resolved?' Yes it can. However, it is contingent upon the level of participation from the international community especially the US Government and the commitment of Liberians ourselves.
Liberian Leader Rejects Offer of Haven (AP)
UNITED NATIONS - Liberia's president, under heavy pressure to step down, rejected a Nigerian offer of safe haven in part because he fears it won't protect him from a war crimes indictment, senior U.N. diplomats told The Associated Press.
Missing the Point: The West African Crises
Again, the West African Republic of Liberia has collapsed into total chaos and hooliganism characterized by wanton killings, ethnic cleansing and the destruction of personal properties. As expected, the pundits are out with another round of analysis and predictions---pointing in the direction of peace, the formation of a national government of unity, the formation of a Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Committee and the disarmament of all combatants to the Liberian madness.
Liberian Political Parties Ask US to Match President Bush's Call With "Demonstrative Action"
Several Liberian political parties attending the ongoing peace summit in Accra have welcomed with reservation, call by States President George W. Bush for President Charles Taylor to step down. At the same time two parties of the Consolidated Registered Political Parties (CRPP) are diametrically opposed to the statement by the US president.
Bush Considers Active Role in Liberia (AP)
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is "actively discussing" how to bring peace to Liberia amid international calls for the United States to lead a peacekeeping force there, the White House said Tuesday.
Lawmaker Wants War Crimes Tribunal Established For Liberia
A member of the Liberian parliament attending the ongoing peace negotiations in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, is calling for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal for Liberia. Representative David E. Kortie told reporters in Accra Thursday that he supports the creation of a war crimes tribunal to prosecute and bring to justice those accused of committing crimes against humanity during the civil crises in the country.