Liberia
Liberian civilians in crossfire

afrol News, 7 February - While thousands of Liberian refugees in Côte d'Ivoire are repatriated back to an uncertain future, renewed fighting within Liberia is producing a new wave of internally displaced persons. The rebels are now 60 kilometres north of the capital, and the displaced have few places to go.

The Liberian rebel forces LURD, which aim at overthrowing the regime of President Charles Taylor, have launched a major offensive in the north-western pats of the country. There are ongoing fights in the provincial capital Tubmansburg, 60 kilometres north of the capital, Monrovia. The town was only recaptured by government troops in July last year, after having been under LURD control for three months.

The new LURD offensive heading towards Monrovia is creating a wave of internally displacements in Liberia. Hundreds of exhausted Liberian civilians are arriving state-run shelters in the capital on a daily basis, according to reports from Monrovia. There are also non-confirmed reports of Tubmansburg already being totally vacated by civilians.

Meanwhile, thousands of Liberian refugees are streaming back to the country from Côte d'Ivoire, escaping the fighting there and the ongoing attacks from xenophobic Ivorian civilians and police. The UN refugee agency UNHCR today reports that it so far has been able to assist 1780 Liberian refugees returning to their homeland. Many more are however awaiting assistance.

The many Liberians in Côte d'Ivoire in the first place had escaped warfare in Liberia, but also the repressive government in Monrovia, known to systematically violate human rights. It is assumed that many of these refugees origin from the same areas that are now being attacked by the LURD rebels. It remains uncertain where Liberian returnees can head for, and the UNCHR staff only help them crossing the border into Liberia.

There are thus enhanced doubts whether the returning refugees will be in safety upon arrival in Liberia. Not even Monrovia currently is safe. Apart from government repression, refugees and displaced may also soon again be in the middle of a battlefield.

The LURD rebels earlier this week gave President Taylor an ultimatum to either step down voluntarily or being overthrown forcefully during the upcoming LURD capture of Monrovia. He would then have to face a trial. The rebels have however been bigmouthed at earlier occasion, without winning a decisive victory against the well-armed Taylor regime.

The rebels, which started their struggle to overthrow the Taylor regime in 1998, also launched a big offensive almost exactly one year ago. They were first hit back after reaching the suburbs of Monrovia and Liberia's second city, Gbarnga. Since August last year, the LURD rebels mostly have defined their activities to their stronghold in the north-west, at the Guinean border.

Also last year, the fighting lead to massive streams of refugees and displaced, principally going to the capital, Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire. Civilians mostly escaped the warfare, but many also fled the massive violations of human rights and forced army recruitment - mainly by the Taylor government and troops.

Sources: Based on UNHCR, press reports and afrol archives