One Person Killed, Several Wounded as Ex-Taylor Rebels Rampage

17 May 04

With the disarmament process proceeding smoothly in rural Liberia, fighters of the former government of exiled and  indicted war criminal  former President Charles Taylor  for the second time  today went  on the rampage in the capital Monrovia, leaving one person dead and several wounded.

The fighters, some  brandishing automatic assault riffles, set up roadblocks at Redlight, a commercial suburb in the capitol, demanding  what they claimed  were their benefits under the ongoing disarmament process.

The rampaging fighters later fired shots indiscriminately frightening commuters, traders, students and residents of the area. They also threw stones and smashed the windshield of vehicles including that of General Roland Duo, a former frontline commander of Charles Taylor militias who went on the scene to intervene.

Earlier attempt by officers of the United Nations Civilian Police to intervene was futile. The fighters pursued the police several kilometres away from where the protest first started, beyond the residence of Mr. Taylor. They were however blocked by the Irish Rapid Response Unit of UNMIL from advancing to the former German Embassy compound where the headquarters of UNMIL is located.

Police in Monrovia have confirmed the arrest of several of the ringleaders,  including a former  bodyguard of former president Taylor only known here as Senegalese. Speaking to reporters on the scene of the incident, Senegalese claimed he had more than 12,000 men under his control deployed all over the city, saying that their protest would continue until their demands are met.

Most of the fighters were disarmed during failed disarmament in December but paid only US$75.00 out of the US$300.00 promised each fighter as incentive. The incident raises questions on how comprehensive is the disarmament and demobilisation process, since the rampaging fighters were presumed to be disarmed.