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Liberia postpones peacekeeper move to unruly interior

West African peacekeepers aborted plans to move into Liberia's lawless interior on Saturday after the government demanded more time to pull back forces, but the two sides later struck a deployment deal.

The Nigerian-led force, already protecting the capital Monrovia, had planned to go into central Liberia after reported rebel attacks this week drove tens of thousands of people from homes and refugee camps.

But Defense Minister Daniel Chea stopped the deployment after hundreds of troops from Guinea-Bissau had already boarded trucks.

Chea said he had not been told in time to get his forces off the road.

The peacekeeping force ECOMIL and Chea said late on Saturday the problem had been sorted out at a meeting and that the deployment could take place as early as today.

"It was nothing major. We have to make sure our troops are out of the area to avoid any embarrassment," Chea said.

The deployment had previously been delayed by a lack of troops and was given added urgency by the reported clashes involving Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels.

Chea was a close ally of Charles Taylor, Liberia's pariah leader whose flight into exile in Nigeria last month brought hope of an end to 14 years of strife in the region.

Chea now serves in a caretaker government that will rule Liberia until a two-year administration starts work in October to shepherd the country towards elections.

Government forces in central Liberia accuse LURD fighters of launching attacks that have sent tens of thousands of refugees fleeing this week.

But some displaced people say government militia fighters have used the unrest as an excuse to loot and rob civilians.

Aid workers say it would be better for refugees to go back to camps they fled near the town of Totota, some 115km from Monrovia, if ECOMIL forces can ensure security.
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