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| Africa: East |
| LIBERIA: Rebels seize Kley Junction as clashes resume |
| 2003-07-17 |
| Liberian rebels seized the strategic town of Kley Junction, 37 km west of the capital, Monrovia, as fighting resumed between government troops and two rebel groups on three fronts, threatening a fragile 17 June ceasefire. If they are fighting on three fronts, I’d say it’s cancelled. Relief workers in Monrovia told IRIN that the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) overran Kley Junction early on Thursday morning, raising fears that they could mount a third assault in two months on Monrovia. Liberian Defense Minister Daniel Chea was quoted by international news agencies on Thursday afternoon as saying the LURD had advanced past Kley Junction to Sastown, 20 km from Monrovia. "The military situation is developing into a full-scale attack against our positions," Chea said. Clashes were also going on between government fighters and rebels of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) in the southeastern Sinoe County, the relief workers added. They got tired of waiting. On Wednesday, General Benjamin Yeaten, the Liberian government frontline commander, told reporters that MODEL attacked government positions at the port town of Greenville, Sinoe County, 250 km southeast of Monrovia and at Belliewaley, a town in lower Nimba county, 280 km northeast of the capital. LURD leaders attending Liberian peace talks in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, however alleged their positions were attacked by government troops, a diplomatic source said. "They said they are only defending themselves from a government attack," the source said. The best defense is a pre-emptive strike. Kley junction links Monrovia to the Sierra Leone border and to the rebel main stronghold of Tubmanburg, which is also the provincial headquarters of Bomi County. It was the springboard for previous rebel attacks on Monrovia. LURDs big problem is that there is only one way into the capital from the north. It’s a bottleneck across the bridge. The sound of light weapons fire from the direction of Kley Junction could be heard around the government controlled Po-River area, 17 km west of the capital, defense sources in Monrovia told IRIN. Let’s hope they finish it this time before the US gets in. |
| Posted by:Steve |