Reconciliation conference under way

A national reconciliation conference opened on Saturday in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, with President Charles Taylor urging opposition leaders abroad to return home. "Nothing, absolutely nothing, will be done to them," sources quoted him as saying.

However, Taylor's opponents stayed away from the month-long conference, including the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), which issued a statement on Monday vowing to continue its armed struggle against forces loyal to the Liberian president.

"We are at the moment close to retaking the provincial city-town of Tubmanburg," LURD said on Monday in a statement. "Our forces will not only aim at retaking Tubmanburg, but do all to conclude the war very soon by hitting Monrovia and calling for a government of national consensus."

Tubmanburg, about 80 km northwest of Monrovia, was captured by LURD earlier this month, but later recaptured by government forces.

"After a very serious examination of our present military engagement, and overhauling of certain operational procedures, our forces have changed their combat strategy in the ongoing battle aimed at restoring a people-based democracy to the country. Our current operational strategy moves our forces toward key areas in northwestern and central Liberia," LURD added.

The national reconciliation conference, called by Taylor, is being attended by some NGOs, media, other civil society groups, government and traditional leaders, a diplomatic source told IRIN on Tuesday. It was too early to judge its likely outcome, the source said.

Participants were expected to travel outside Monrovia after two weeks to seek views from rural people on national reconciliation. Taylor was quoted by news agencies as saying the conference's facilitators should visit various parts of the country and try to resolve ethnic differences.

Opponents of the Liberian government held their own conference in Burkina Faso recently at which the LURD said it was prepared to consider a ceasefire with the government forces. That meeting was attended by civil society organisations, opposition parties, the national bar association, Liberia's press union, religious bodies and exiled students. No government representatives attended.