ITALY: LEADER OF LIBERIA'S MAIN REBEL FACTION SAYS HIS SOLDIERS WILL LEAVE MONROVIA WHEN PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVE

Record ID: 646980

  • Title: ITALY: LEADER OF LIBERIA'S MAIN REBEL FACTION SAYS HIS SOLDIERS WILL LEAVE MONROVIA WHEN PEACEKEEPERS ARRIVE
  • Date: 4th August 2003
  • Summary: (W4) ROME, ITALY (AUGUST 4, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. MV: EXTERIOR CATHOLIC SANEGIDIO COMMUNITY HEADQUARTERS 0.05 2. SV: SEKOU DAMATE CONNEH, LIBERIAN REBEL LEADER WALKING 0.11 3. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIBERIAN REBEL LEADER SEKOU DAMATE CONNEH OF THE LURD MOVEMENT ANSWERING REPORTERS QUESTIONS, SAYING: "We are prepared to pull out of Monrovia but for some security and humanitarian we have been awaiting the arrival of ECOMA (Economic Community for West African States) so we can give our position to ECOMA. We are prepared to pullout now. As soon as the peacekeepers arrive we are going to pull back." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEKOU DAMATE CONNEH SAYING: "For security and humanitarian reasons (we will pull back) because we don't want to pull back if the peacekeepers are not there and the civilians will get attacked by Taylor forces, Taylor militias, who will harass the civilians for being collaborators of my group - that is why we are taking our time." 0.55 4. WIDE OF REPORTER WITH CONNEH 1.00 5. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEKOU DAMATE CONNEH SAYING: "We are welcoming the peacekeepers and we are going to work with them, we will cooperate with them and they are welcome." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEKOU DAMATE CONNEH ANSWERING REPORTER QUESTION, SAYING: "There have been problems of interim leadership but for now our position we have accepted the idea the request from the ECOMA mediator that the interim should be headed by somebody from the civil society - which we accept." 1.39 6. SV: REPORTER AND CAMERA OPERATOR WITH CONNEH 1.43 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEKOU DAMATE CONNEH SAYING: "We are worried because we don't trust Charles Taylor and we are sure he is not going to step down, he will need some force. But for us we remain committed and we are going to continue to cease fire. We can assure you that there will be no more violence and this will depend on ECOMA to take whatsoever action. You don't have to worry about rebel forces the ECOMA can take care of that." 2.19 8. WIDE OF CONNEH SEATED TALKING TO REPORTER 2.23 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVA1HFYQNE8PB9TBYU725WQ1S56K
  • Story Text: Liberia's main rebel faction has said it will leave
    Monrovia when peacekeepres arrive.


    Long-awaited African peacekeeping troops are set to
    swoop into Liberia on Monday (August 4, 2003), bringing
    hope to a war-weary population who are desperate to see
    their crippled country find peace.

    Liberian rebel leader Sekou Damate Conneh of the LURD
    movement (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
    Movement) told Reuters in Rome on Monday (August 4) that
    his soldiers would withdraw from their forward positions in
    Monrovia as soon as the peacekeepers arrived in the country.

    "We are prepared to pull out now. As soon as the
    peacekeepers arrive we are going to pull back," Conneh said.

    Conneh said he was in contact with his 5,000-strong
    troops in the Liberian capital and they had not started to
    move yet.

    "We don't want to pull back if the peacekeepers are not
    there and the civilians will get attacked by Taylor
    forces," he said, adding, "so that is why we are taking our
    time."
    President Charles Taylor said on Saturday (August 2) he
    would resign on August 11 and leave the country afterwards,
    in line with calls by the United States and the Economic
    Community of West African States. But no deadline has been
    given for his departure.

    Conneh said that although LURD wanted Taylor to leave
    the country as soon as possible, it would not relaunch any
    violence if he stayed beyond August 11.

    "We are worried because we don't trust Charles Taylor
    and we are sure he is not going to step down, he will need
    some force," Conneh said.

    "But for us we remain committed and we are going to
    continue to ceasefire. We can assure you that there will be
    no more violence and this will depend on ECOMA to take
    whatsoever action. You don't have to worry about rebel
    forces the ECOMA can take care of that," he said.


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