Amnesty accuses government of rights abuses

Amnesty International has accused the Liberian government of torture and killings of civilians who are allegedly supporters of forces currently fighting government troops in northern Liberia, and has urged the international community to act to stop the abuses. In a report published on Monday and titled ‘Liberia: War in Lofa County does not justify killing, torture and abduction’, AI called on the Liberian government and armed opposition groups based in Guinea to stop abducting women, children and other civilians immediately. Since July last year there has been a resurgence of armed incursions from Guinea into northern Lofa County and the human rights situation there has been deteriorating. Women and girls fleeing hostilities have been arrested at checkpoints and gang raped by Liberian government forces, AI reported. Since 2000, the rights body added, dozens of civilians have allegedly been killed and tortured by the Anti-Terrorist Unit and other government forces on suspicion of backing armed incursions from Guinea. “The fighting in Lofa County is rife with human rights abuses. The international community must act urgently to stop those abuses, including by requesting the Guinean government to intercede with Liberian armed opposition groups based in its territory.” According to information gathered during an AI mission to Liberia in February, civilians suspected of backing the dissidents are held in holes dug in the ground at the military base of Gbatala in central Liberia. Some of the holes are filled with dirty water and prisoners are subjected to a range of abuses including beatings, floggings and kickings. Others have had plastic melted on their bodies, have been forced to walk on broken glass in bare feet or eat hot pepper. According to the Liberian government, fighting between government forces and dissidents has intensified recently with reports of clashes around the town of Salayea, some 280 km from the capital, Monrovia. http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN