Liberia's Taylor Agrees To Cease-fire
Voice of America
VOA News
11 Jun 2003, 21:36 UTC
Liberian President Charles Taylor has agreed to a ceasefire with rebels seeking to overthrow him so peace negotiations can proceed in Ghana.
West African mediators, headed by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Nana Akufo-Addo, met Mr. Taylor Wednesday to secure his agreement on the ceasefire.
Rebel fighters from Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) have promised to halt their push toward the capital.
Mr. Akufo-Addo said the ceasefire could be signed on Friday, a day after officials say the peace talks in the Ghanaian town of Akosombo, (100 kilometers north of the capital Accra) may get underway.
The peace talks are being sponsored by the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS.
The rebel fighters began their offensive toward Monrovia late last week and are now within a few kilometers of the Liberian capital.
The fighting has sent more than 100,000 civilians fleeing into Monrovia in search of shelter, prompting fears of a human catastrophe.
Liberia's rebellion began in 1999 after a seven-year civil war that claimed 200,000 lives.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
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