Rebels advance in Liberia

The Liberian government has called on all the country’s soldiers to report for duty as the military continues to battle with armed rebels who are advancing on the west African nation’s capital, Monrovia.

State radio has been issuing hourly orders demanding that all soldiers report to Monrovia’s main army base and warned of "drastic action" if soldiers failed to show up.

Rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy movement took over suburbs on the outskirts of Monrovia yesterday, including President Charles Taylor’s hometown.

However, the military claimed to have expelled the insurgents. The LURD movement has been fighting to topple Mr Taylor’s government for the past three years.

Its members are said to include some of the losing factions in Liberia’s 1989-1996 civil war.

The war was launched by Mr Taylor, a former guerrilla, and caused the deaths of 200,000 people.

Taylor emerged as the strongest of the warlords and won democratic elections in 1997.