MONROVIA, Liberia, 15 August 2003 — Dozens of American troops landed at Liberia’s main airport yesterday, increasing the US presence to boost West African peacekeepers, as rebels began withdrawing from Monrovia, ending their two-months siege of the starving capital.
US Ambassador John Blaney and rebel chief of staff Abdullah Sherrif shook hands in the center of a bridge marking the front-line of the war-divided capital, signaling the rebel handover.
The rebel withdrawal opens access to Monrovia’s vital seaport and allows food and supplies to flow again, particularly to the famished government-held side of the capital, where hundreds of thousands of residents and refugees have had little more than leaves to survive on.
Small numbers of West African peace forces and US Marines crossed into rebel territory after the ceremony, and at least four West African military vehicles went directly to the port.
Firing into the air, insurgents left the port and retreated north, heading toward the Po River, their promised new boundary outside the city. They kept their AK-47s, rocket-launchers and other arms, and many carried away stereos, sacks of food aid, and other loot.
Tens of thousands of civilians massed on both sides of the New Bridge. West African peacekeepers, trying to curb the chaos, held back hungry crowds on the government side as well as civilians on the former rebel side, who rushed the bridge by the thousands, shouting, “We want peace!”
Excited masses on both sides cheered as two US fighter jets swooped back and forth above the crowd.
Rebels had promised to pull out of the areas of the capital they control by noon yesterday, following the resignation and departure on Monday of President Charles Taylor, a former warlord blamed for 14 years of conflict in Liberia.
President Bush had refused to send in any significant number of troops until Taylor left -- and yesterday’s deployment dramatically increased the number of US troops on the ground in Liberia, from only about a dozen to a planned 200, including a 150-member rapid reaction force.
US Marines armed with M-16s and wearing helmets and jungle camouflage jumped out as nine US helicopters settled on the airport tarmac, with two more helicopters hovering overhead.
“We are just here to help the people,” Sgt. Michael Hobbs said minutes after arriving. All the 200 additional US soldiers were expected to arrive yesterday.
“This operation today is going to be an important one,” said Blaney, the US ambassador, meeting the arrivals at the airport. “You are going to see American boots on the ground, and a firm commitment to uphold humanitarian concerns in this country.”
Fifty members of the new US deployment are to help with the logistics of getting aid flowing again to Liberia’s cut-off capital.
Taylor’s exit has raised hopes for an end to the bloodshed.
Washington has stressed that the US role would be as back-up to African peace troops, and that they would be concerned primarily with getting in humanitarian supplies. It said it did not intend the Americans to take part in combat.
