Unease mingles with hope in post-Taylor Liberia

3.00pm

MONROVIA - Liberia faced up to its desperate humanitarian crisis and a flimsy cease-fire between volatile fighters today as ex-president Charles Taylor's flight into exile lifted hopes of an end to strife.

Top priority is reopening the rebel-held port in the capital Monrovia, to get food to hundreds of thousands who fled recent fighting that left 2,000 people dead in the latest chapter of nearly 14 years of horror in the West African country.

Standing by offshore are US warships sent to help regional peacekeepers, but it is still unclear whether the Marine task force will play the big role craved by the traumatized citizens of a land founded by freed American slaves.

President Moses Blah, who until Monday was Taylor's deputy, wasted no time in offering the vacant vice-president's job to rebels holding about three-quarters of Liberia, and he appealed to the United States to intervene and help save his country.

The rebels have already said that they think the October date set by West African leaders for Blah to hand over to an interim president is too long and have doubts about Taylor's old ally from bush struggles in the 1990s.

Taylor flew into exile in Nigeria on Monday after describing himself as a "sacrificial lamb" who gave up power so his people could live in peace. He said he hoped to be back one day.

"We will finally get peace in our country," said Morris Fallon at Monrovia's international airport.

The former warlord had little option, with President Bush urging him out, a U.N.-backed war crimes court after him for atrocities in Sierra Leone and rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) deep in Monrovia.

PORT IS KEY

LURD had promised to withdraw from the vital port once Taylor has gone and hand over to Nigerian peacekeepers and contacts between US officials and rebels are expected on Tuesday to try to get the pledge fulfilled.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Washington that the commander of the floating task force would soon go ashore, but he did not expect a significant number of US troops to help open the port.

"If the situation remains calm, as it has been for the last few hours, all this should be done in a rather open and peaceful way. And if the cease-fire remains in place I would not expect any large commitment of US forces," he said.

The food situation is not so bad behind rebel lines, because the fighters looted the stocks of rice in the port. On the government side they are desperate and prices have shot up at least five-fold.

In an interview with CNN television, Blah urged the US Marines to come ashore and help open the port to allow in aid shipments.

"My message to President Bush is, please President Bush come and save Liberia ... please save us from this nightmare, we are suffering, we are dying."

The United Nations reckons about 450,000 people in Monrovia are displaced while 1.3 million are exposed to serious risk of disease -- well over a third of Liberia's population. Few even venture to quantify the misery in the interior.

Meanwhile, there are still questions over who will keep order now Taylor has left. Blah does not have the same authority as the "Pappay" and last-minute looting sprees broke out even before Taylor had gone.

Many Liberians feel the best thing would be if the US Marines came in as soon as possible.

"That could be a solution to the vacuum because of the awe in which they are held by LURD and the militia groups that might be troublesome," said Alex Vines of London's Royal Institute of International Affairs.

- REUTERS