Ten amnestied dissidents rejoin families

Ten Liberian dissidents taken prisoner by government forces in Lofa County in northern Liberia were on Tuesday handed over to their relatives under an amnesty programme laid out by President Charles Taylor, the Ministry of Information reported.

"This has never happened before. The government has taken POW's but we don't know what happened to them," one diplomat told IRIN on Wednesday.

At the prisoner release ceremony, Information Minister Reginald Goodridge called on all dissidents to surrender and join in the rebuilding of the war-shattered country. A witness at the event said that a dissident captain, Edward Kamba, told the audience that he would never again take up arms against his country. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Mano River Women`s Peace Network.

Deputy Defence Minister Austin Clarke said the release of the prisoners was a clear indication that government did not want war. A diplomatic source told IRIN that the lull in the fighting since December had enabled the government to use the prisoner release to tell other rebels that they would, upon surrender, be allowed to resume a normal life. The diplomat said that the war, against dissident forces, had been a "tremendous drain" on Liberia's resources and on Taylor's ability to provide decent health care and education, and pay salaries regularly.

"He needs to do something before elections next year," the diplomat said.