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West African Peacekeepers Enter Monrovia

Posted on: Thursday, 7 August 2003, 06:00 CDT

Long-awaited West African peacekeeping forces arrived in Liberia's rebel-besieged, famished capital on Thursday to deafening cheers from the city's desperate people.

Traveling from their base at an airport 30 miles from Monrovia, more than a hundred Nigerian peacekeepers rode into the war-ruined city in white armored personnel carriers, trucks and sports utility vehicles.

The soldiers blew kisses and waved white handkerchiefs at thousands of Liberians crammed on the shoulders of roads, chanting, "We want peace, no more war."

"I'm going with them," said Prince Phillip, one young man running alongside the convoy. "We need to eat, we're tired of this war."

The peacekeeping force, which saw a vanguard force of about 500 Nigerians land at the airstrip earlier this week, was envisioned in an oft-violated June 17 ceasefire agreement signed between the government of President Charles Taylor and rebels battling since 1999 to oust him. The force has been repeatedly delayed.

More than 1,000 civilians have died from fighting during a two-month rebel siege on the city of 1.3 million. Food is scarce in the city and cholera and other diseases are rampant.

The city's people have been clamoring for rescue from the peacekeeping troops, which are meant to come between the warring parties and open up humanitarian corridors from the rebel-held port, allowing food and aid to flow into Monrovia.

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