LIBERIA: The Archbishop of Monrovia has appealed to the Government to encourage the international community to send a peacekeeping force immediately to war-ravaged Liberia.
Dr Michael Francis, who was in Dublin as a guest of Trócaire for talks with the Department of Foreign Affairs, said that security was a fundamental issue. "Without the security situation being stabilised, the humanitarian situation cannot be dealt with properly," he said.
The archbishop said an international force, preferably from the US, but otherwise from the EU, needed to be the "lead group" into Monrovia ahead of the promised peacekeepers from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), who needed financial and logistical support from the EU and US.
Ecowas troops were expected "within days" but Dr Francis said that "we have been promised that for the past three weeks". He added: "We know the US and we are comfortable with them."
Asked about US concerns of a repeat disaster of its Somalian intervention in 1994 and its stretched resources in Iraq, Dr Francis said Liberia was not Somalia in terms of either environment, politics or its humanitarian situation.
The US might be stretched in Iraq but "they have 40,000 troops in Korea and who knows how many in Europe where there is peace. It should not be trouble for them to send 500 or 1,000 troops."
He appealed to the Government to make a statement to encourage the EU and US to intervene. The Department of Foreign Affairs has said however that the the Government has responded as part of the EU.
It supported the regional Ecowas force being sent there and the spokesman said it was a matter for the US to decide whether to send troops. The Department funds humanitarian assistance through Trócaire and Concern.
The fragile Liberian ceasefire broke for the third time a week ago as rebel forces advanced on the capital in a battle that has cost hundreds of lives.
Water supplies have been cut and Dr Francis said that people were dying from starvation and illness as well as directly through the fighting.
"People are trying to live in bombed-out buildings. There is very little shelter and lack of food and it is the rainy season."
President Bush had cited the possibility of sending troops but has insisted that the regional Ecowas force should be deployed first. He has also said that President Charles Taylor should stand down before the troops arrive.
Mr Taylor said he would only stand down once the troops arrived. The Monrovian archbishop believed Mr Taylor was right. "The belligerent groups are fighting among themselves and if he goes, who will stop them fighting?". The international stabilisation force "will put him out if he doesn't go himself".
Trócaire is providing funding for temporary housing for up to 6,000 homeless children, among the thousands of displaced Liberians pouring into the capital.
