Liberia Rebel Leader Attacked

01/10/2003| IslamWeb

Fighting has erupted in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, during a visit to the city by rebel leader Sekou Conneh. The BBC's Paul Welsh in Monrovia says shots were fired after a crowd began to throw stones at Mr Conneh's convoy as he made his way to meet the interim President, Moses Blah, for the first time. Three people were killed and others were seriously injured. The violence came hours before the biggest United Nations peacekeeping mission in the world began its mission in the war-torn West African country. Some 3,500 West African troops already deployed in the capital and its immediate vicinity officially became part of the new UN force - Unmil - on Wednesday. The force will eventually comprise about 15,000 troops. **Rocket launchers*** It is unclear who shot first in Monrovia, triggering a short battle between government troops and rebels in which automatic weapons and rocket launchers were used. West African peacekeepers fired their guns for the first time since they arrived six weeks ago, shooting into the air to try to restore order. Angry crowds surrounded the dead bodies, chanting: "The UN is responsible for this, they want us to die," Reuters news agency reported. Our correspondent says the big question is why the peacekeepers who were escorting Mr Conneh allowed rebels to bring guns into the city, if that is what happened. He says the events of the day have shown the peacekeepers how difficult the task ahead is likely to be, but already their presence in the capital and the area around it has brought a level of peace that Liberians could only have dreamt of two months ago as their city was being attacked. **Peacekeepers welcomed*** The Nigerian-led West African peacekeepers switched to the command of the UN on Wednesday, swapping their green helmets for United Nations' blue. An additional 11,500 peacekeeping troops are due to start arriving in Monrovia shortly to try to stabilise the rest of the country, where civilians are still harassed by gunmen and where there are still regular skirmishes between rebel and government forces. In northern Liberia, a government military commander told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that his positions had been attacked near the border of Bong and Nimba counties, leading to a "mass exodus" of civilians. Many Liberians reacted with joy to the news of the troops' imminent arrival, with one market trader telling French news agency AFP it was "one of the best things that has happened to Liberia in a long time". "I cannot wait to see them deploy," he added. Unmil's deployment comes a day after the last US forces pulled out of Liberia and as the US eased its travel warning to the country, permitting some of its diplomats to return. The make-up of the entire UN force has not yet been decided but the UN says that a battalion from Bangladesh is expected within two weeks. Businessman Gyude Bryant is due to take over as interim president of the country on 14 October, heading an administration including both government and rebel representatives. The power-sharing authority is to organise elections in 2004. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Liberian United for Reconciliation and Democracy Movement (LURD) leader Sekou Damate Conneh. (AFP/File/Issouf Sanogo)