Liberian Rebels Fight Their Way forward to East of Capital

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 28, 2003

Liberian Rebels Fight Their Way forward to East of Capital

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Liberian rebels fought their way toward the east of Monrovia on Sunday after crossing over a key bridge though President Charles Taylor had agreed to honor a buffer zone further north, said reports reaching Lagos from the Liberian capital.

Liberian General Benjamin Yeaten was quoted as saying that the rebels of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) had crossed the bridge.

Yeaten told reporters that he had given his commanders "a strong warning not to allow the rebels to reach Red Light Junction," a district at the intersection with the airport road.

According to the general, the rebels will be able to attack thecapital city from the east and the airport in Monrovia will be in danger if they pass through the junction.

Earlier, US Ambassador John Blaney said President Taylor had agreed to make the Po River about 12 km north of the capital serveas a buffer zone between the government forces and rebels.

The establishment of the buffer zone was "absolutely necessary"to end the renewed fighting which broke out a week ago which had left more than 1,000 people dead, thousands others wounded and tens of thousands displaced.

According to the US ambassador, the buffer line would facilitate the deployment of international peacekeeping force and ceasefire monitors.

The past few days have witnessed the bloodiest fighting in Monrovia, with mortar shells raining in the diplomatic area aroundthe US embassy and two shells hitting the US embassy.

On Friday, US President George W. Bush ordered to position "appropriate military capabilities" off the coast of Liberia to support a West African peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country.

The Liberian civil war, which lasted about 15 years and claimedat least 200,000 lives, flared up again in 1998 following attacks launched by the LURD rebels in northern Liberia.

Civil war over the past decade has made Liberia among the most miserable places in the world and the latest unrest since 1998 hasforced some 300,000 Liberians to flee to neighboring countries andclaimed thousands more lives.

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