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UN forces in Liberia active in capital and countryside

10 October – Troops from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) intensified patrols in Monrovia, a UN spokesperson said today, checking on an agreement to make the capital weapons free by this week, and in anticipation of next week's inauguration of a new government.

The spokesperson, Hua Jiang, also said that the UNMIL commander had made wide-ranging visits in central, eastern and southern areas of the country to discuss the ceasefire with formerly warring groups in advance of the 14 October inauguration date for the new interim government.

A Joint Monitoring Committee meeting on Monday announced that it would have a "Weapons-Free Monrovia" within 72 hours. Ms. Jiang did not report any incidents in the intensified searches in the capital.

The spokesperson said the UN Force Commander, Gen. Daniel Opande, has completed visits to Tubmanburg, northeast of Monrovia, Gbarnga in central Liberia, Ganta on the Guinea border and Buchanan to the south. He met with representatives of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), and the other rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) as well as the Government of Liberia armed forces, she said.

"He urged the parties to observe the ceasefire and to reinforce the decisions reached at Monday's Joint Monitoring Committee," Ms. Jiang said. "Humanitarian agencies continued to voice concern about the security conditions in Liberia as the 14 October date for the inauguration of the interim government looms closer."

Ms. Jiang reported that the World Food Programme (WFP) had decided to suspend its distribution of food during the inauguration period, and would resume the distribution around 20 October. In Geneva WFP representative Christiane Berthiaume said that since the agency had just concluded the distribution of one month's supply of food aid, the suspension would not affect the recipients of the aid.

In New York, Ms. Jiang said, "The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the situation in Liberia remained tense, and incidents of looting and robbery had been reported despite efforts by UN peacekeepers to collect weapons."