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Panic broke out in Monrovia as LURD rebels advanced 18 kilometers from the town of Klay to attack government troops on the strategic Po River bridge (17 kilometers outside of Monrovia). Thousands of displaced residents who had just returned to their homes in the suburbs were sent fleeing back in the rain to the capital's center. The city of one million is already packed with refugees, who have taken refuge in schools, stadiums and other buildings.
The sound of heavy shelling could be heard at 5.30 AM and continued throughout the morning in the western city suburbs of Duala, Brewersville and Caldwell. Duala was heavily contested when the rebels entered the capital for the first time earlier in the month. Government troops prevented civilians from going beyond the St. Paul's bridge, which separates Monrovia's outskirts from those western suburbs, although some rebels had apparently already crossed it.
Pro-government militiamen in open trucks moved out of the city to try to repulse the rebels, while LURD commanders claimed that they weren't actively pursuing an offensive but simply responding to government assaults. There were also reports that 17 suspected LURD supporters were executed, when pro-government militia raided the refugee camp "Voice Of America" just west of the city.
Government sources also reported fighting with MODEL rebels at Tapeta, in the northern Nimba County and at Ganta, a key crossroads town on the Guinean border 60 km away. Government forces have been patrolling the northeastern town of Ganta, after forcing out the rebels - who set on fire almost every building in the town as they left.
Convoys of loyalist troops were also seen moving to the city of Gbarnga, 180km north-east of Monrovia, which Taylor used as a stronghold around ten years ago when he led the rebellion that overthrew Samuel Doe.
In the Ghanaian capital Accra, rebel representatives said they would suspend active participation in the peace talks with President Taylor's representatives, because repeated government attacks on their positions were in contravention of a week-old ceasefire.
A MODEL leader said that his troops had captured General William Toe with 30 of his men and a huge cache of arms in Grand Kru County in southeastern Liberia.
Taylor sent Toe, his former Assistant Minister of Defense into the Sinoe County to retake positions before the Joint Verification Team (JVT) entered Liberia. MODEL claimed that they weren't interested in killing him, but would hand him over to the International Community soon.
After the warrant for his arrest was issued, Taylor had threatened the Sierra Leoneans and observers figured that he planned to use the Liberian Antiterrorist Unit (ATU) Special Forces to attack Sierra Leone again. Prior to the outbreak of the war in Sierra Leone 1991, Taylor had threatened to cause trouble (which he did). Now Taylor's other nightmare has began, since the Special Court in Sierra Leone succeeded in having his Swiss bank accounts frozen. It's hard for former dictators to run when they have no cash. - Adam Geibel
Monrovia maps, online at:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_cities/monrovia.jpg
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_cities/monrovia_73.jpg
