West African troops calm edgy Liberia

Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel General Acapulco, right, reaches out to shake the hand of government fighter Colonel George Rollins in the middle of New Bridge in the Liberian capital Monrovia on Tuesday. PHOTO: AP

Liberian rebels darted across contested bridges to shake hands with government fighters -- many as young as 10 and barely bigger than their AK-47s -- as a steadily building West African deployment brought an edgy day of calm to Liberia's gutted, looted capital.

International aid agencies on Tuesday sped aid shipments to Monrovia, bloodied by two months of rebel sieges that have killed more than 1,000 civilians and cut the capital off from food, clean water and all but the barest medical care.

Tons of relief aid piled up at Liberia's main airport as white UN helicopters shuttled in Nigerian troops of a promised 3,250-member West African deployment.

It will be days before the peace troops move from the airport into the capital, but their mere presence in the country was enough to still AK-47s in the war-divided city.

Two US warships with Marines were waiting out of sight offshore.

Though the US said Americans would deploy only after President Charles Taylor leaves, a senior administration official said late Tuesday that President George W. Bush has authorized a contingent of six to 10 US troops to enter Liberia as early as Wednesday to provide logistical support for the West African forces.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US team could grow to as large as 20 in coming days.

"My brother, what are we fighting for?" declared rebel commander General Acapulco as he embraced government Colonel George Rollins on Monrovia's New Bridge.

Target of repeated rebel pushes toward Taylor's downtown stronghold, the bridge and two others leading from the rebel-held port had been a killing zone for two weeks, wracked by mortar rounds, rockets and automatic weapons fire.

"I have no problem with you, my brother," said Acapulco, who wore a T-shirt proclaiming, "I want to be a millionaire," shaking the officer's hand. "We are only against one person. That is Charles Taylor."

"Only foreign intervention made this possible," Rollins responded. "Maybe our commanders would be ordering us to kill each other -- but we are Liberians."

As they spoke, 15-year-old rebel fighter Rosalyn Tappeh, in jeans and bikini top, shared a cigarette with 17-year-old government fighter Sah Aruna.

"She is my sister," Aruna said. "Maybe I will marry her one day."

At one point, three lower-ranking rebels darted across the bridge, shaking hands with their government rivals before running back.

The scene at the nearby Old Bridge was like a school party -- one redolent with marijuana and bristling with arms.

Government troops of 10 and 12 years old, barely bigger than their assault rifles, waved, posed and strutted for rebel fighters on the other side, doing the same.

As late as Monday, none would have dared approach the bridges.

US Ambassador John Blaney was among those traveling to the rebel side in a convoy with West African force officials. In a building with tarps hung across shattered windows, they appealed to rebels to open the port for humanitarian access.

Rebel chief of staff Major General Abdulla Seyeah Sheriff told reporters that would happen only when Taylor resigned and left Liberia.

Talking of what it would take to get Taylor to resign, some rebels nodded at their guns. "I don't trust Taylor will step down, because he is a criminal," said rebel Lieutenant General Philip Kamara.

Under pressure from West African leaders and Washington, Taylor has agreed to cede power on Monday. However, Taylor has repeatedly hedged on promises to go into exile in Nigeria, saying he would leave only when enough peacekeepers are on the ground and when the war crimes indictment is dropped.

In South Africa, President Thabo Mbeki said Taylor had promised in a phone call not to linger after giving up power on Monday. Taylor "will leave as soon as possible after that, either the same day or the day after, to Nigeria," Mbeki said.

However, Nigerian presidential aide Stanley Macebuh said there were signs of reluctance.

"It appears Mr Taylor is unwilling to take the Nigeria offer" of exile, Macebuh told reporters. "He seems to be nursing fresh ambitions to remain in power."