MONROVIA, 23 July 2003 — Liberia said yesterday more than 700 civilians had been killed in a rebel onslaught as fighting raged for a fifth day on the outskirts of the capital.
The blast of mortar bombs rang out across Monrovia, where the UN refugee agency described the situation as “horrific” and aid workers appealed for foreign troops to end the violence.
West African ministers and security officials met in Senegal to discuss sending peacekeepers to the battered country and pressure mounted on the United States to intervene. Liberian Defense Minister Daniel Chea said the soaring death toll in Monrovia had thrown into doubt pledges by President Charles Taylor to quit once peacekeeping troops arrived.
Aid workers calculated about 100 civilians had been killed by mortar bombs over the past few days, but Chea put overall civilian casualties at over six times that figure.
Angry Monrovians have cursed the United States for failing to send soldiers to help end the bloodshed in the country, which was founded by freed American slaves.
The US administration has put the main burden on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to lead any mission to end 14 years of almost non-stop war.
But there has been little indication that the regional bloc will deploy any time soon a promised 1,500 troops, meant as the vanguard of a larger force.
Fighting in the city resumed yesterday after a quiet night. The heaviest gunfire rang out from areas near bridges that lead to the center — where the battle has seesawed since Friday — and on a road encircling the coastal city, which is built on a chain of islands.
Meanwhile, a rebel official attending peace talks said Liberian rebels have been ordered to halt their offensive on Monrovia but have been unable to in the face of hostile fire. The order was made 48 hours ago, and has been repeated, but “every time they (rebels) intended to leave an area or do a tactical withdrawal, (President Charles) Taylor’s forces opened fire, making the situation very difficult for us,” said the official, Kabineh Ja’neh.
He said the order to halt the offensive had been made by the leader of the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Sekou Damate Conneh.
Earlier LURD announced in Accra that they had refused to sign a peace agreement drafted by West African mediators.
“We are not happy with the draft, we’re not going to sign,” said George Dweh, a LURD vice president.
