Liberian Peace Talks Recessed With No Sign of Progress
Peace talks to end Liberia’s bloody six-month-old rebellion went into recess Thursday with little sign of progress as both sides appeared to hold firm to their demands.
No statement was issued after seven hours of talks, held at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, capital of Liberia’s neighbor, Sierra Leone.
The talks, which began Tuesday, are the first since rebels led by businessman Charles Taylor invaded the West African country, founded in 1847 by freed American slaves.
The Rev. Levee Moulton, a Liberian Baptist minister who is the chief mediator in the talks, said a cease-fire is one of the main topics under discussion. He also indicated that the negotiations soon will take up the key rebel demand that President Samuel K. Doe resign.
In Liberia, more than 3,000 people marched through the streets of Monrovia, the capital, in heavy rain calling for peace and an end to the killing.
The marchers chanted, “We shall overcome” as they walked to the city center waving palm fronds and carrying banners calling for a cease-fire and an end to tribalism and army harassment.
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