Taiwan's embassy in Liberia remained in operation yesterday de-spite Liberian President Charles Taylor's declaration of a state of emergency on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Taylor made the declaration as the nation's long-running war against rebels crept closer to the Liberian capital.
"Despite the declaration of a state of emergency throughout the country, our embassy in Monrovia reported that the daily routine of the capital remained unchanged," said Katharine Chang (張小月), spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Embassy staffers also did not spot any appearance of police or military forces on the street," Chang said.
"We hope our colleagues and their families will watch for their safety and report the latest developments back to Taipei in a timely manner," she added.
Reports from Liberia said that refugees continued to crowd into the capital from the town of Klay, just 40km from the city, where rebels struck this week in the closest attack to the seat of government since they began Liberia's latest war in 2000.
Rebels also reportedly captured the towns of Suehn and Tubmanburg, which are also close to the capital.
Liberia, one of Taiwan's few African allies, suffered from a seven-year civil war in the 1990s that left up to 200,000 dead.
The government claimed its forces had driven rebels from Kley although rebels of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy denied the reports.
Rebel spokesman William Hanson said they would reach the capital within a week if Taylor refused to step down, adding the group's objective was to overthrow Taylor so that free elections could be held.
The troubled west African country has also been seriously hit by AIDS. Taiwan last year donated some 5 million condoms to the country and has offered medical, financial and technical assistance to the country over the years.
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