[allAfrica.com]











Shooting Incident: LURD Rebels Loot NGO Facilities, EU Rep. Warns Against
Lawlessness

The NEWS (Monrovia)
NEWS
April 12, 2004
Posted to the web April 14, 2004

By Sheriff Z. Adams
Monrovia
Uneasy calm has returned to the central Liberian town of Gbarnga following
reports of heavy shooting at the weekend by rebels of the Liberians United for
Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).
It is not clear what sparked off the shooting in Gbarnga, but an aide worker
who claimed to have left the town on the day of the heavy shooting told The
NEWS that the fighters seemed to have been disgruntled. He did not elaborate.
There were also reports of looting allegedly by LURD rebels in Gbarnga.
Addressing a pre-DDRR news conference at the Executive Mansion last week, the
European Union Representative, Godfrey Rudd, disclosed that the facilities of
two NGOs which were being supported by the EU were looted by fighters.
Although Mr. Rudd did not give the names of the two NGOs operating in Gbarnga,
but he said news about the shooting was not a good sign. He appealed to the
fighters and their commanders to stop fighting.
Mr. Rudd also urged the fighters and their commanders to stop the looting and
prepare for the disarmament process.
As the result of the looting, Mr. Rudd said the European Commission has to
provide additional funding to the two NGOs to enable them continue their work
in Gbarnga and other parts of the country.
The EU representative pointed out that his organization was working with local
institutions to provide opportunities and better offers for combatants during
the disarmament process. He indicated that the EU would also provide money for
ex-fighters who will disarm to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
Mr. Rudd said the EU is convinced that the combatants should give up their guns
for education or other vocational skills to improve their lives. But he added
that news of the recent shooting was not encouraging, and that the fighters
should stop.
Meanwhile, Radio Veritas yesterday quoted a priest of the Catholic Diocese of
Gbarnga as saying that calm has returned to the town, but that the streets were
still deserted.
UNMIL has a battalion of Bangladeshi troops deployed in Gbarnga. They have been
given orders to take firm measures to keep the town under control.

   

  =============================================================================
   Copyright © 2004 The NEWS. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                         Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  =============================================================================