Rebels say they use government weapons

A rebel leader fighting against the Liberian Government says his men are using Liberian arms obtained from Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front rebels, the BBC reported on Friday. “We were able to get them to turn their arms over to us,” Joe Wiley, a self-styled general, told the broadcaster. Wiley claims to be the leader of the group calling itself Liberians United For Reconciliation and Democracy that began attacking the provincial town of Voinjama, in Liberia’s upper Lofa County, on 8 July, and which aims to unseat President Charles Taylor. Several governments have repeatedly accused Taylor of supplying arms to the Sierra Leonean rebels in exchange for diamonds, an accusation which he denies. In turn Taylor continues to accuse neighbouring Guinea of arming Wiley’s insurgents, a charge Guinea also denies. Opposing forces are still battling for total control of Voinjama and the surrounding area. On Tuesday, Taylor gave his army 72 hours to flush out the dissidents but up to early Friday the government had not declared victory. “I want Mr Taylor to know that it will take 100 years to drive our forces out of Liberia,” Wiley told the BBC.