UN team arrives on information-gathering mission

A five-member UN team has arrived in Monrovia to gather information on fighting last September between government forces and supporters of former faction leader Roosevelt Johnson, a UN official told IRIN on Tuesday. The team, headed by James Ngobi, a former Director in the UN Department of Political Affairs, is "an independent information gathering mission, sent at the invitation of the Liberian government, which will submit its findings to the UN Secretary-General", the official said. On 18-19 September 1998, a shootout occurred in Monrovia between Liberian government security forces and Johnson's supporters. He and some of his group later fled to the US Embassy, where they sought refuge. Johnson was later airlifted to Nigeria. According to news reports, the US government accused Liberian troops of shooting at its embassy premises and demanded an apology from Monrovia. The Liberian government apologised but blamed the damage on Johnson's forces. The UN team is expected to complete its mission on Friday.