Liberia Rebels Control Embassy District; No Evacuations by U.S.

Liberian rebels are now in control of an area of Monrovia where the American Embassy is located, but there are no plans to evacuate U.S. diplomats, the State Department said today.

“It does appear the rebels are in control of this area (Mamba Point) where the U.S. Embassy is located, but things go back and forth, and this could change,” spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters.

Boucher said there was intensive fighting Monday “which apparently left Mamba Point in rebel hands. Latest reports indicate that the fighting is continuing but at a less-intense level than yesterday.”

There are 400 American citizens in Liberia, including fewer than 100 diplomats, and about 37,000 Liberians have sought refuge from the fighting on various U.S. facilities in the country, according to U.S. figures.

U.S. ships have been patrolling Liberia’s coast for several weeks. Asked about evacuation plans, Boucher said: “We’ve made no decision like that.”

A U.S. official, who asked not to be identified, said: “I don’t have any indication that we’re moving at this point to an evacuation.”

The official said the rebel forces in control of Mamba Point were believed to be those led by Prince Yormie Johnson.

Despite atrocities laid to all sides in Liberia’s civil war, including a massacre of hundreds of civilians Sunday, Boucher said “in most cases, government and rebels respect places of refuge” used by civilians to escape the fighting.

U.S. officials, in regular contact with government and rebel forces, have emphasized the need to respect embassies and foreigners “and that has generally been the case as events have unfolded over the last few weeks,” he said.

Rebels led by Johnson and a separate group led by Charles Taylor have been seeking to oust President Samuel K. Doe.