Armed men attack Tubmanburg, people queue for exit visas

Anti-government forces in Liberia attacked the town of Tubmanburg forcing 1,000 people who sought refuge at a Roman Catholic mission there to flee, news organisations reported on Thursday.

The attack which occurred on Wednesday was reportedly carried out by Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). The BBC said the attackers were unknown. Liberian government officials could not be reached for comment on the attack on the town, 60 km north of the capital, Monrovia.

Rebel activity, previously restricted to the north of the country, came to within 47 km of Monrovia recently when LURD fighters were reported in Klay Town. The government said it had pushed the dissidents to over 60 miles (96 km) north of Monrovia.

President Charles Taylor declared a state of emergency on 8 February. On Thursday he accused the international community of being part of a "conspiracy of silence" and called on it to help end the two-year-old rebellion, the Associated Press reported.

Since declaring the state of emergency, the government has announced that Liberians must now obtain exit visas to leave the country. A diplomat in Monrovia told IRIN on Friday that Liberians seeking the had formed long queues outside the Immigration Department. The diplomat said that government had purportedly insisted on the visa requirement to snare government officials "spiriting away their friends and relatives" because of the state of emergency. "That's the official reason they are giving," the diplomat said.