Rebels say they are prepared to discuss ceasefire

The rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) announced on Thursday that it was prepared to consider discussing a ceasefire with the government of President Charles Taylor.

The announcement came in a declaration the rebels issued at the end of a four-day conference in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, in which LURD, Liberian civil society organisations and opposition political groups participated. Other participants included the Liberian National Bar Association, the Press Union of Liberia, religious groups and exiled students. However, no Liberian government representatives attended the meeting.

"As a result of dialogue with the conference participants, LURD is prepared to consider, in principle, negotiations for a genuine ceasefire and to discuss the way forward," the LURD declaration said. "In the event that the government is not prepared to consider this step, the LURD will intensify its military campaign to restore democracy to Liberia."

The head of the LURD delegation, Laveli Suppuwood, said the rebels "want to see what will happen from now on, depending on circumstances". He declined to make further comments.

The conference appealed to the African Union, the United Nations, ECOWAS, the European Union and the Mano River Union to endorse and support the establishment of an international contact group comprising Burkina Faso, France, Nigeria, Senegal, the United Kingdom and the United States to "assume international leadership in assisting Liberians to attain peace".

The conference hoped to set up an umbrella group "aimed at restoring the peace, democracy and dignity of Liberia", according to its final declaration. It called for an immediate ceasefire and the deployment of an "international stabilisation force to provide security throughout Liberia and to monitor a ceasefire". That force would also ensure sustainable security and the conduct of "free, fair and transparent elections" and disarm all armed groups, the declaration said.

"This is a good day for Liberia," said the conference's chairman, Amos Sawyer, a former interim president of Liberia. "We reached a milestone in reconciliation at regional level that Liberians need to emulate."