War Returns To Monrovia

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The rumor that west African peacekeepers had landed sparked a spontaneous demonstration by war-weary Monrovians on Saturday morning to demand an end to the decade-long conflict. But the thousands of civilians who jogged toward the front lines chanting "No more war, we want peace" were sent back by government troops, and peacekeepers failed to appear. The fragile, monthlong truce between government and rebels seemed to definitively break down as rebel forces took a crucial bridge and fighting broke out in the center of the city.

At around sunset, President Charles Taylor — whose ouster is a key rebel objective — went on the radio and repeated his vow not to leave Liberia until an international peacekeeping force arrived. Although Washington had sent a military assessment team to evaluate the humanitarian situation, hopes that the U.S. would intervene had already faded. It seemed President George W. Bush would prefer to leave the peacekeeping to West African forces. They are not now expected to arrive until next month at the earliest.

As rebels entered the city, residents streamed away from the fighting, their belongings on their heads: mattresses, plastic buckets, bundles wrapped in sheets. They included many of the pro-government militia, who melted away before the rebel advance. Many officials had fled already. The Red Cross warned of a humanitarian crisis as fuel and water grow increasingly scarce, aid supplies dwindle and the risk of cholera and malaria outbreaks increase. The insecurity means only the most urgent needs are being met. "We're reaching an ever-shrinking area," says Jane Gibreel, a program director with Save the Children. "Until there is some stabilization, at best we are firefighting."