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Taylor, rebels asked to honour pact

MONROVIA (Liberia) JUNE 18. A new ceasefire began to take hold on Wednesday in Liberia, and Washington and West African nations pressed the Liberian President, Charles Taylor, and rebels to carry out in full their pledge to end years of vicious civil war.

The deal called for an end to fighting late on Tuesday in the 3-year-old war, which has seen rebels push to Liberia's capital in their drive to force out Mr. Taylor.

"The eyes of the world are on you now," the former Nigerian military ruler, Abdulsalami Abubakar, mediator of talks that brought the ceasefire signing on Tuesday in Ghana's capital, warned Mr. Taylor's Government and Liberia's two rebel movements. Mr. Abubakar urged Mr. Taylor's fighters and their rebel enemies "not to betray their Liberian compatriots" by breaking their accord.

There was no immediate word on Wednesday of any new fighting. Action on the rest of the deal was to start soon after a ceasefire verification mission, with logistical support from the United Nations, is to arrive in Liberia by the weekend. A West African-led "stabilisation force" of 2,000-plus troops would follow, said Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of the West African regional bloc that pressed for the deal. Mr. Chambas said the force could include the U.S. or other Western contributions. U.S. authorities confirmed that some U.S. role was being considered in the force for Liberia, a nation founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century.

Immediately after the weekend verification mission, political talks were to start on an interim government — one that would exclude Mr. Taylor, an indicted war-crimes suspect accused in 14 years of gun-running, diamond-smuggling and conflict in West Africa.

Under the accord, Liberia's government, rebels and political parties will "seek within 30 days, a peace agreement. The peace agreement shall amongst other issues, cover ... formation of a transitional government, which will not include the current President." Mr. Taylor's six-year term would end in January. The U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the pact "an important step forward" and urged other countries to give relief aid.

AP

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