Liberians pray for end to bloodshed as Taylor finally surrenders power

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.

As soon as he stood down, in a carefully choreographed move, three US warships on Liberia's Atlantic coastline sailed into view.

Liberians rushed to the beaches, hopeful that US peacekeepers were arriving to help end the violence in the nation founded more than 150 years ago by freed American slaves. There are more than 2,000 marines on board the ships.

Pushed to resign by the US and West African leaders, Taylor declared that history would judge him kindly, speaking at his long-promised resignation ceremony in Liberia's war-blasted capital Monrovia.

African leaders said his departure marks the end of an era of bloodshed. Yet rebels besieging the famished, shell-pocked capital threatened to resume fighting if Taylor did not leave for exile in Nigeria immediately.

Taylor, who had reneged on previous promises to resign, began his farewell address by exhorting the international community to help Liberia: "We beg of you, we plead with you not to make this another press event."

"History will be kind to me. I have fulfilled my duties," he said, adding: "I have accepted this role as the sacrificial lamb ... I am the whipping boy."

Taylor looked on as successor Moses Blah was sworn in. Placing his left hand on the Bible and raising his right, Blah pledged to "faithfully, conscientiously and impartially discharge the duties and functions of the Republic of Liberia".

Blah began his presidency with a moment of silence for all those have died in Liberia's wars.

"Let the nation begin to heal," he said. "Let all of us unite as one people and work to peace."

Rebels have rejected Taylor's choice of successor a long-time ally and comrade in arms and demanded that a neutral candidate be chosen to preside over a transitional government until elections can be held.

West African leaders said Blah would hand power to a transitional government in October.

Two months of intermittent rebel sieges have left over 1,000 people dead in Monrovia, as government and insurgent forces duel with the city of

1.3 million as their battlefield. The war has left Taylor controlling little but the city centre, referred to derisively by rebels as Taylor's "Federal Republic of Central Monrovia".

Wearing a white safari suit and holding his trademark staff, Taylor arrived hours late for his resignation ceremony at his Executive Mansion, heavily guarded by Nigerian and South African forces.

Taylor had pledged to hand over power at one minute before noon but was delayed at the airport where he welcomed Ghana President John Kufuor, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and Togolese Prime Minister Koffi Sama.

"It is indeed a shameful thing that as Africans we have killed ourselves for such a long time," said Mr Mbeki, who received a standing ovation. "It is indeed time that this war should come to an end."

Taylor remained defiant to the end, calling the rebel uprising an "American war" and suggesting it was motivated by US eagerness for Liberia's gold, diamonds and other reserves.

"They can call off their dogs now," Taylor said of the US' alleged support of the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, or LURD, "We can have peace."

Taylor launched Liberia's 14 years of near-constant conflict with a 1989-96 insurgency. He was elected president in 1997 on threats of plunging the country into renewed bloodshed. Rebels took up arms against him two years later. His ragtag forces, paid by looting, are accused by rights groups and Liberia's people of routine raping, robbing, torture, forced labour and summary killings.