| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
ABIDJAN, 28 May (IRIN) - Liberia's denial of accusations that it plans to attack Sierra Leone do not appears to have convinced the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) force backing the Freetown government.
ECOMOG's spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Olukulade, told IRIN on Friday that "intelligence reports indicated a massing of Liberian troops at the border with Sierra Leone near Zimmi and we believe the troops are still there".
Earlier in the week, Liberia's Defence Ministry had
expressed "shock and dismay" at allegations
by the ECOMOG (ECOWAS peace monitoring group) force
commander that it planned to attack its neighbour,
Star Radio reported on Wednesday in Monrovia.
ECOMOG commander Major General Felix Mujakperuo made
that claim at a recent news conference in reaction
to an allegation by President Charles Taylor that ECOMOG
was training men to overthrow the Liberian government.
According to Olukulade, Mujakperuo denied any plan
by ECOMOG to destabilise Liberia.
Olukulade told IRIN he believed the Liberian troops
were planning a pre-emptive strike "to prevent
the purported ECOMOG attack."
Star Radio said that the Liberian Defence Ministry urged Mujakperuo to channel his grievances through ECOWAS as Taylor would only acknowledge charges at the ECOWAS level and that it described the allegations as "imaginary stories" .
[ENDS]
[IRIN-WA: Tel: +225 217366 Fax: +225 216335 e-mail: irin-wa@ocha.unon.org ]
Item: irin-english-914
[This item is delivered in the "irin-english" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information or free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or fax: +254 2 622129 or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1999
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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