Liberian rebels reject US demand to leave capital

LIBERIAN rebels rejected US calls yesterday to withdraw immediately from the capital Monrovia and said amid fresh heavy fighting that they would stay until foreign peacekeepers arrived.

At least 14 people were killed yesterday when rebels fired mortars on homes in the besieged capital.

A top West African official said Nigerian troops would move into Liberia this week and President Bush has ordered American troops to sail to positions off the Liberian coast to help West African peacekeepers deploy.