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CNN Live At Daybreak
Liberian Rebels Set to Sign New Agreement
Aired August 18, 2003 - 06:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Liberian rebels are set to sign a new agreement that will give them a place in the country's transitional government. The deal comes after several days of tense talks.
CNN's Gaven Morris joins us from Monrovia with the very latest on this agreement and what the rest of the day might unfold -- Gaven.
GAVEN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, you're right, we are hoping, after many stumbling blocks, that this peace deal will finally be clinched today. The LURD rebels yesterday were holding out on a couple of key positions that they wanted in an interim government that will come in to replace President Moses Blah in October.
Now, late yesterday, they withdrew those demands, which means that all the stumbling blocks seem to have been cleared for this agreement to be signed today. Now, that will make a world of difference to everything that is going on on the ground here. If everybody sticks to their commitments, it means that the fighting will be gone. They will essentially lay down their guns. And an interim government that everyone can agree on will come in in October to govern for two years, until free elections can be had. That is great news.
For the people here in Monrovia -- that's the city behind me there -- still very troubled. Back in that part of the city alone that you can see, it may look idyllic here by the ocean, but there 100,000 people or more still displaced in that part of town alone who desperately need food and aid. What we're hoping to see in the next few minutes is another aid ship come in here to the port and unload blankets and buckets and sheeting and all sorts of things to make accommodations at least a little more reasonable.
There is one ship here already from the World Food Program, the United Nations, and that has brought some small food items and also basically will serve as a logistics center for aid efforts, as well.
So the aid, the humanitarian wheels are starting to move. We really think in the next few days, if a peace agreement is signed and if these ships come in, things will really start improving quite quickly -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Gaven Morris, very much, from Monrovia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 18, 2003 - 06:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Liberian rebels are set to sign a new agreement that will give them a place in the country's transitional government. The deal comes after several days of tense talks.
CNN's Gaven Morris joins us from Monrovia with the very latest on this agreement and what the rest of the day might unfold -- Gaven.
GAVEN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, you're right, we are hoping, after many stumbling blocks, that this peace deal will finally be clinched today. The LURD rebels yesterday were holding out on a couple of key positions that they wanted in an interim government that will come in to replace President Moses Blah in October.
Now, late yesterday, they withdrew those demands, which means that all the stumbling blocks seem to have been cleared for this agreement to be signed today. Now, that will make a world of difference to everything that is going on on the ground here. If everybody sticks to their commitments, it means that the fighting will be gone. They will essentially lay down their guns. And an interim government that everyone can agree on will come in in October to govern for two years, until free elections can be had. That is great news.
For the people here in Monrovia -- that's the city behind me there -- still very troubled. Back in that part of the city alone that you can see, it may look idyllic here by the ocean, but there 100,000 people or more still displaced in that part of town alone who desperately need food and aid. What we're hoping to see in the next few minutes is another aid ship come in here to the port and unload blankets and buckets and sheeting and all sorts of things to make accommodations at least a little more reasonable.
There is one ship here already from the World Food Program, the United Nations, and that has brought some small food items and also basically will serve as a logistics center for aid efforts, as well.
So the aid, the humanitarian wheels are starting to move. We really think in the next few days, if a peace agreement is signed and if these ships come in, things will really start improving quite quickly -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Gaven Morris, very much, from Monrovia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
