From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:LIBERIA: FIGHTING PETERS OUT AS LEADERS HEAD FOR WEEKEND CONCLAVE
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 02:09:44 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Opecna Morning Transmission
Title: LIBERIA: FIGHTING PETERS OUT AS LEADERS HEAD FOR WEEKEND CONCLAVE


an inter press service feature

by peter da costa

banjul, nov 4 (ips) -- west african leaders due to meet in
nigeria this weekend will refine the sub-region's latest
position on the renewed spate of fighting in liberia.

the talks aim to end the fighting between the national
patriotic front (npfl) -- liberia's main warring faction -- and
the seven-nation west african peacekeeping force (ecomog),
formed in august 1990 to create the climate for peace in the
war-ravaged country.

leaders of the 16-member economic community of west african
states (ecowas) will meet in abuja, nigeria's new capital, from
nov. 7 in a long line of diplomatic efforts to resolve the
liberia conflict.

last month ecowas chair nicephore soglo, president of benin,
called a mini-summit in his capital, cotonou. four ecowas
leaders attended and gave the warring factions a two-week
deadline to comply with the ''yamoussoukro iv'' and geneva peace
accords.

under yamoussoukro iv, npfl leader charles taylor agreed to
the simultaneous ecomog-policed demobilisation of all liberia's
warring factions as a prelude to internationally-monitored
elections.

diplomats say the abuja meeting will also renew ecowas'
calls for material u.n. support of the ecowas liberia mediation.
ecowas is awaiting a decision on its request, channeled through
the africa group at the current u.n. general assembly session,
for logistical and financial backing for ecomog.

ecowas is also lobbying the united nations global sanctions
on taylor in an attempt to stop western interests, particularly
from france and the united states, helping prolong the war by
trading with the npfl.

west african ecomog contributors are adamant they will only
accept u.n. participation if it enhances rather than undermines
their adventure in liberia.

former u.n. secretary-general javier perez de cuellar gave
his blessing to the ecowas initiative in august 1990 and said
the community did not need security council approval to go into
liberia. but apart from sustained humanitarian assistance, the
world body has refrained from entering the fray. (more/ips)


liberia: fighting (2)

nigerian president, gen ibrahim babangida, has sent his
foreign minister, maj gen ike nwachukwu, to invite fellow heads
of state. babangida has stated his resolve to persist with the
sub-regional peace effort.

the precise agenda for abuja is a closely-guarded secret. but
high-level diplomatic sources say nigeria -- which commands and
and largely finances the peace monitoring operation -- will push
for a stronger line on enforcing the ecowas blueprint for peace
agreed upon by warring factions last year.

taylor, who began the liberian civil war with a december 1989
incursion, upset a fragile two-year cease-fire when he declared
war on ecomog oct. 15, accusing the force of planning to attack
his stronghold.

since then the liberian capital, monrovia, around which
ecomog maintains a protective buffer zone, has been beset by
artillery and rocket attacks as well as npfl infantry raids on
peacekeepers' positions.

aid agencies and the city's interim administration say nearly
200,000 civilians who fled the clashes in monrovia's suburbs of
mount barclay, schiefflin and the po river area have been fed
and sheltered in the city centre in recent weeks.

relief workers are also trying to reach some 90,000 sierra
leonean refugees who fled border clashes and are believed to be
trapped in npfl-controlled lofa county, a northern area of
liberia made inaccessible by the renewed hostilities.

a spokesperson for ''medecins sans frontieres'' (belgium)
says his organisation had distributed food to lofa a month ago.
malnutrition rates were as high as 43 percent, a situation he
said was almost at par with somalia.

reports reaching this gambian capital from monrovia say many
displaced people are returning to their homes as fighting dies
down and commercial life begins to return to normal in the city.

however, a dusk-to-dawn curfew is still in place while ecomog
presses ahead with its mopping up campaign. over the past week
ecomog frigates have bombarded surrounding marshes to dislodge
npfl units staging night guerilla raids on the city.

ecomog issued a statement monday warning that armed persons
breaking the curfew risked being shot on sight. the warning
followed concern that off-duty soldiers of the armed forces of
liberia (afl) and anti-npfl irregulars were terrorising many of
monrovia's 1.3 million residents.

the afl, a signatory to the ecowas-brokered cease-fire, came
out of its encampment to join ulimo (an anti-taylor coalition)
help peacekeepers repel the npfl assault on monrovia.
(end/ips/pdc/apc/ar/92)
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