Gunfire Continues in Liberian Capital
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MONROVIA, Liberia — Fresh shooting broke out here in Liberia’s capital Saturday after the government called for a truce to enable West African peacekeepers to make the city once more a safe haven.
Peacekeepers moved tanks onto one of two key bridges in the city, and witnesses reported them clearing fighters and civilians from the Vai Town area between the bridges and the port.
One witness reported shooting between the peacekeepers and fighters loyal to Charles Taylor, the man who started Liberia’s civil war in 1989.
It was not immediately clear whether the peacekeepers, who clashed with Taylor supporters near the port Thursday, were starting to extend the areas under their control.
Earlier, a radio station run by Taylor, the dominant member of the ruling State Council, said the government had adopted measures to return Monrovia to normality.
Before the latest fighting, which began April 6, Monrovia provided almost half of Liberia’s population with a refuge from the war.
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