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Strategies & Market Trends : Africa and its Issues- Why Have We Ignored Africa? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (188)	8/6/2003 12:35:38 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1267

Deployment of Peacekeepers Delayed in Monrovia By REUTERS Filed at 12:03 p.m. ET MONROVIA (Reuters) - West African peacekeepers prepared on Wednesday to take control of the streets of Liberia's capital, where desperate civilians hope their presence will bring peace and a square meal a little closer. But as the day wore on, the Nigerian soldiers were still camped at the international airport, some 45 kmoutside Monrovia, and mission officials said the deployment had been delayed by technical issues. It was not immediately clear when the soldiers would move into Monrovia, where civilians were falling victim to stray bullets and mortar bombs until a few days ago as rebels fought furiously with President Charles Taylor's troops. The delay illustrates the many hurdles the peacekeepers will have to overcome despite early explosions of popular joy when they arrived in Monrovia, where at least 2,000 people have been killed since June, mostly civilians caught in crossfire. The guns were mainly silent on Wednesday. Rebels and Taylor's fighters -- bitter foes a week ago -- chatted along front lines, some with white ribbons tied to machinegun barrels. ``See, we are all brothers, we are all one,'' said government fighter Varney Devan, watching rivals chat on the Old Bridge. ``They all know each other, they grew up together,'' he added. But aid workers reported some new deaths and injuries from stray bullets in the still largely lawless city. It was unclear if a small team of U.S. Marines had arrived in Monrovia after U.S. helicopters landed at the embassy. A spokesman would not say whether the Marines were aboard. HOPE AND CONCERN The United States has sent three warships to assist the regional force, but has yet to decide if it will commit its own troops to a country founded by freed American slaves. U.S. defense officials said between six and 10 Marines would be sent from a task force of about 2,300 aboard the three ships. A group of U.S. Marines was dropped off by helicopter at the U.S. embassy last month to boost security at the mission amid fighting in the city. While Monrovia was quiet, fighting raged in the second city of Buchanan as Taylor's forces tried to oust a smaller rebel group, known as Model, which seized the port city last week. ``Our intention is to remove those bandits from Buchanan,'' a government military official said. Military sources said forces loyal to Taylor had made advances. Hopes of lasting peace have also been dented after Taylor was said to have attached conditions to accepting an offer of asylum in Nigeria after his scheduled resignation next Monday. Officials in Nigeria said Taylor wanted a U.N.-backed court in Sierra Leone to drop a war crimes indictment against him. His lawyers have asked the World Court to quash the indictment. Rebels have refused to pull back from Monrovia until the former warlord leaves the country, although they have promised to hand over the vital port to the peacekeepers. A United Nations multi-agency team arrived in Monrovia on Wednesday to assess the humanitarian situation. The world body has asked governments to donate $69 million in emergency funds for food, clean water and shelter. Aid workers earlier buried two bodies on the beach in West Point -- new graves among over a hundred others marked with crosses made from twigs. The victims were an elderly woman hit in the head by a bullet while she was throwing rubbish into the sea and a looter, the aid workers said. Throughout the government-held parts of the city, thousands of people milled through markets, looking for still scarce food. Some worried about Taylor's reported reluctance to go unless the indictment is lifted -- something the court says it will not do. Taylor's lawyers have petitioned the World Court, arguing that he has immunity from criminal proceedings and that the indictment flouts the principle that foreign judicial powers may not be exercised on another state's territory. The U.N.-backed court wants to try Taylor for his role in supporting rebels during Sierra Leone's brutal civil war.