Liberia agreement nears

Monday, 18 August 2003 12:00 AM

Liberian factions are due to sign an agreement that will see an interim government established for the war torn country.

Weeks of talks are set to conclude this afternoon with an agreement for a power sharing government. This comes after fighting in the capital saw the national leader Charles Taylor ousted from power.

Peacekeepers have been active in the capital Monrovia for some time now, but the agreement will mean that they can be dispersed across the country, along with aid workers.

Fighting has displaced thousands of people, many fleeing to neighbouring countries, and aid agencies believe that getting food, water and medical supplies to these people is an urgent priority.

Years of tensions are believed to have been a destabilising force in West Africa, which has recently seen successful interventions in Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast by the UK and France respectively.

It is expected that operations in those two states will serve as a model for operations in Liberia, with local troops trained by international forces to ensure peace.

The British Government recently agreed to take hundreds of Liberian Refugees through a United Nations programme to establish a legal route for asylum seekers to reach safe countries in the developed world.

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