PRESIDENT Charles Taylor, the former warlord blamed for nearly 14 years of bloodshed in Liberia and indicted for war crimes, finally surrendered power to his deputy yesterday.

Defiant to the end, Liberian President Charles Taylor resigned today but said: “God willing, I will be back.”

REBEL leaders said they will not allow any ally of President Charles Taylor to take power after the embattled leader named his vice-president as his successor. Rebel representatives at peace talks in Ghana said they would observe an often-violated June 17 ceasefire pact for the capital of Monrovia, but insisted they would not accept Taylor's appointment of Moses Blah.

President Charles Taylor submitted his resignation in favour of his vice president as throngs cheered the first West African peacekeepers to enter Liberia’s besieged capital, Monrovia.

HUNDREDS of thousands of Liberians cheered West African peacekeepers as they rumbled through the pockmarked capital yesterday, in an explosion of joy on streets that just last week formed a deadly frontline.

WEST AFRICAN military officers searched for camp sites and made other preparations yesterday for the long-promised deployment of peacekeepers to Liberia’s rebel-besieged capital.

Liberia’s main rebel group are walking out of peace talks, accusing the top mediator of letting President Charles Taylor slip out of a pledge to give up power.

Liberian President Charles Taylor, a newly indicted war crimes suspect, claimed today that his government had foiled an attempted coup to unseat him.