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The Economic Community of West African States has brokered peace negotiations between the Liberian government and two rebel groups, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), to be convened June 4 in Akosombo, 100 km north of Ghana's capital, Accra. Former Nigerian president Gen. Abudsalami Abubakar will be the moderator.
It is the first time since his rise to power in 1997 that Liberian President Charles Taylor has agreed to the negotiations, and there has been some doubt as to his sincerity. Taylor first said he would attend the talks himself, then announced that Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Lewis Browne would be the government's chief negotiator instead. Some diplomats regard Taylor's choice of Browne, a junior minister, as proof the president lacks seriousness.
It is not only Monrovia's sincerity that is questionable, however: Though LURD representatives and Abubakar have attended pre-talk meetings in Ghana, MODEL representatives have yet to show and have continued military operations -- including the capture of Harper, a port city -- since plans for talks were announced. The talks themselves do not even yet have a well-outlined agenda, though media reports indicate that key topics will include a cease-fire and disarmament measures, the deployment of peacekeeping troops and the formation of an interim government after Taylor's term in office expires in January 2004.
If these reports are accurate, it would appear that Monrovia -- whose security forces are increasingly hemmed in by rebel advances -- already may have lost. But judging from the government's conduct so far, it is more likely that Taylor's agreement to peace talks might have been a ploy to buy more time. Even so, it might not be sufficient for Liberian forces to box their way out of their current dilemma.
Taylor is quickly running out of options regarding how to deal with the rebellion.
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