Liberians Demand Immediate Deployment of Peacekeeping Troops

24/07/2003| IslamWeb

Under the watchful gaze of heavily armed government troops, hundreds of frightened and hungry Liberians demonstrated outside the US embassy in the capital Monrovia. They are demanding the immediate deployment of West African peacekeeping troops to bring 14 years of conflict to an end. The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, has said it will send 1,300 troops and that it will set a date for their deployment next week. In a country that has seen some 600 deaths in five days, next week could mean the loss of many more lives. The United States has been under international pressure to intervene in the country founded by American slaves. But many in the US administration feel that American troops are already too stretched to take part in the peacekeeping mission. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Government soldiers lie dead after fighting rebel (LURD) troops trying to keep control of the old bridge in the waterfront port zone which gives access to Monrovia. (AFP/Georges Gobet)