Peacekeepers move into Monrovia

A long-heralded peacekeeping force rolled into Liberia’s rebel-besieged capital to deafening welcome by the Monrovia’s desperate people today.

Travelling from their base at an airport 30 miles from Monrovia, more than 100 Nigerian peacekeepers drove into the war-ruined city in white armoured personnel carriers, trucks and 4X4s.

The soldiers blew kisses and waved white handkerchiefs at thousands of adoring Liberians, who crammed roadsides to chant “we want peace, no more war.”

At Liberia’s bullet-scarred Congress building, officials cancelled a meeting to discuss and formally approve resignation plans by President Charles Taylor, a former warlord at the centre of 14 years of near-constant war.

Taylor sent a letter notifying them of his decision to hand over to the country’s vice president on Monday.

Taylor, under international pressure, has repeatedly promised – and equally frequently hedged on those vows – to step down on Monday, hand over power to a successor and eventually leave for exile in Nigeria.

Fighting has split Monrovia into rebel and government sides, killed well over 1,000 civilians outright and left hunger and epidemics raging among the 1.3 million residents and refugees.

Jacques Paul Klein, the top UN envoy for Liberia, urged Taylor to leave before he is arrested. A UN backed court has indicted Taylor on war crimes charges for allegedly supporting rebels during a brutal decade-long war in neighbouring Sierra Leone.