Talks to continue despite reported violations

Following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Liberian government and two rebel groups in Ghana, peace talks are scheduled to begin on Thursday despite reported ceasefire violations in southeastern Liberia. The violations were reported by both rebel groups, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL). However, officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which brokered the talks, said the reported skirmishes were "the nature of ceasefires." But LURD representative Charles Bennie told IRIN on Wednesday that the movement had received reports of government attacks on their positions on the outskirts of Monrovia, Nimba and Sinoe Counties. MODEL too reported it had come under attack in Sinoe, Grand Bassa and Nimba counties. In preparation for the talks, the moderator, former Nigerian head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, called on Wednesday for political parties, civil society groups and the three warring parties each to nominate one person to represent them in the political and security committees that would begin simultaneous meetings at 10:00 GMT on Thursday. "We will begin the preliminary discussions first before we convene the plenary sessions next week," a source in the All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCP) said. "This is when we will decide the composition of the transitional government, the portfolios, when it will come into effect, when its mandate will be over and the Taylor issue," The ceasefire agreement signed on Tuesday stipulates that President Charles Taylor will be excluded from a proposed transitional government "in accordance with his June 4th 2003 declaration in Accra, made at the inauguration of the ECOWAS Peace Talks." But last week Taylor he would not step down until a UN-back court indictment against him for war crimes in Sierra Leone, was lifted. LURD Spokesperson, Kabineh Jan'eh, told IRIN on Wednesday that the international community would have to decide on what to do about Taylor. He added that LURD was not imposing itself on the people of Liberia to lead the transitional government. "We are not demanding this right", said Jan'eh. "The issue will be deliberated at the plenary session. If the Liberian people desire us to lead the interim government, we shall consider it as a privilege". Political discussions are to be held within the next 30 days with the aim of producing a comprehensive peace agreement. Such an agreement should focus on key issues, including the holding of free and fair elections, humanitarian issues, human rights and national reconciliation as well as the reconstruction of Liberia. The ceasefire agreement paved the way for an ECOWAS-led Joint Verification Team (JVT) to enter Liberia, including two representatives each from the warring factions as well as representatives from the UN, the African Union and the International Contact Group on Liberia. ECOWAS has given the various warring factions until June 20 to identify the locations of their respective units, their combat equipment and to communicate the information to the JVT. The team will visit the locations to plot them on a map as a reference document on their limits. "By the weekend, the joint verification team will get into Liberia to stake out the positions of the former combatants. This will prepare the path for an ECOWAS-led intervention force to enter Liberia to enforce the cease-fire," ECOWAS Secretary General, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, told IRIN on Tuesday.