Hundreds of Liberians lined the streets of the besieged capital Monrovia yesterday, cheering West African military experts sent in to prepare for the deployment of thousands of peacekeepers.
As the advance team drove in jeeps through the capital's pot-holed streets, people shouted "No more war, we want peace," delighted to see even a small number of foreign soldiers in a city bloodied by 13 days of battle.
Despite the team's arrival, fighting continued between President Charles Taylor's forces and rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). Small-arms fire and the boom of rockets were heard through the night and the morning.
The reconnaissance team met members of Liberia's government before heading to the US Embassy for talks with officials.
"We are very happy for the team to be here today. We want to put an end to this as soon as possible," said Thomas Deilebo who was with a crowd of hundreds outside the embassy. "If we can have the rest of the troops here today, we will be happy."
Around 1,500 Nigerians are on standby to move into Liberia, but regional leaders want a truce in place first.
West African leaders began arriving in Ghana yesterday for an emergency summit to discuss the deployment. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose country will lead the force, Togo's Gnassingbe Eyadema and Ghana's John Kufuor took part.
The advance team's arrival offered a glimmer of hope to Liberians weary of the bombs and bullets. The government says well over 1,000 people have died in the latest rebel attack.
There were also clashes yesterday in the second city of Buchanan, which fell to a second rebel faction known as Model on Monday, and in Taylor's old bush stronghold of Gbarnga.
"They keep attacking," army chief of staff General Benjamin Yeaten said. "We commend the West African heads of state for sending the mission and look forward to working with them."
The reconnaissance visit is expected to take at least two days, but a precise schedule has yet to be drawn up.
"This could be a turning point," US Ambassador John Blaney said as the team arrived on Wednesday from Ghana.
Three US warships are also sailing to Liberia to provide support for the force and possibly land troops in a country founded by freed American slaves more than 150 years ago.
In New York, the US introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution to authorize a peacekeeping force, preparing for any future US and UN deployment in Liberia.
The resolution would give a UN mandate to the West African troops or those from other countries and pave the way for a UN peacekeeping operation to take over in October. The troops would be allowed to use force to bring the fighting to an end.
Liberians have long begged for foreign intervention to end the fighting -- the latest chapter in 14 years of almost non-stop violence. Many feel only US troops would have the authority to subdue the ruthless fighters on all sides.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees have swelled Monrovia's population to well over a million, scrabbling where they can for shelter and running short of food, water and medical supplies.
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