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Westerners flee Liberian capital | ||||
Heavily armed French troops stationed themselves around the European Union compound in Monrovia, as helicopters shuttled the foreigners to a French ship waiting off the coast. Thousands of Liberian civilians have been fleeing to the east of the city after fresh fighting and artillery bombardments on Monday morning. Most of the fighting has been taking place in suburbs around the Saint Paul's River Bridge, which links the capital with the rebel-held town of Tubmanberg.
Defence Minister Daniel Chea told the BBC's Focus on Africa that despite hours of fighting, government forces had been unable to dislodge them. Peace talks between the government and rebels in neighbouring Ghana have been postponed until Wednesday, reports the French news agency, AFP. Fighters of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (Lurd) on Sunday gave President Charles Taylor an ultimatum to resign within 72 hours or face renewed attacks but the fighting has not stopped.
'Avoid bloodshed' The United Nations Security Council was due to meet on Monday evening to discuss the deteriorating situation in Monrovia.
AFP reports that people queued patiently before boarding the helicopters in groups of 15. "We can't work, and we had to leave," said Isabelle de Bourning, of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), running for the helicopter. "We've been allowed five kilos of baggage each. We have to leave the rest behind," said another unnamed expatriate. They are being taken to the French military ship "Orage", which will take them to neighbouring Ivory Coast. However two small groups, from MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross were staying in Monrovia. Last week, Mr Taylor was indicted for war crimes by a United Nations-backed court in neighbouring Sierra Leone. Guinea, which Mr Taylor accuses of backing Lurd, has welcomed his indictment. Refugee crisis There have been no reliable reports of casualties from the fighting but one aid worker from British charity Merlin, Magnus Wolfe-Murray, said that the capital of this nation of some three million people was flooded with refugees. "Conditions are dreadful," he said. "There are anything between 300,000 and 700,000 people in Monrovia without anywhere to stay."
The offensive by the Lurd and another rebel faction known as Model has cut off land escape routes from the city, forcing refugees to seek what shelter they can find in Monrovia under the pouring rain. One giant stadium in the centre is said to be packed with refugees. | ||||
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