Rebels offer to release aid workers

Rebels of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) on Wednesday offered to release five nurses abducted last week during fighting in Sinje, northwest of the Liberian capital, Monrovia, LURD spokesman Charles Bennie told IRIN.

"As per last night [Thursday]" the nurses were in a village in the Tubmanburg area in the western county of Bomi, Bennie said. "They are all well and we are only waiting for the UN or aid organisations to arrange for how best they can be handed over," Bennie said on Friday.

He said LURD's aim was not to kidnap or destroy property. "All we want is more involvement by the international community," he said. "We would like the United States, Britain and the European Union to organise and send troops to Liberia to restore the security and also help establish internal administration. We do not believe in regional organisations such as ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] and ECOMOG [Ecowas Ceasefire Monitoring Group]."

News organisations reported LURD as issuing a statement dated 26 June in which it said "the leadership of LURD is pleased and willing to assist the aid workers reach the nearest UN and relevant international organisation offices at any time".

The five nurses, who work for a Liberian medical NGO, were kidnapped on 20 June, after rebels attacked Sinje refugee camp, some 80 km northwest of the capital, Monrovia. The attack caused some 11,000 Sierra Leonean refugees and some 8,000 displaced Liberians to flee the camp, located on the road to the Sierra Leone border.