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CNN Live Saturday
President Taylor Announced Exact Date and Time Of His Departure
Aired August 02, 2003 - 12:12 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.
WHITFIELD: Well, turning now to the latest moves to end the fighting in Liberia. President Charles Taylor tells CNN he will step down and leave Liberia August 11. The announcement comes ahead of Monday's arrival of the first group of West African peacekeepers in Liberia. Meanwhile, the United Nation's security council has authorized a multinational force to go in after the regional troops, as early as October.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECURITY GENERAL: This multinational force will have to pacify -- help pacify the situation, get humanitarian assistance to the population whiles the U.N. prepares to deploy a full law enforce. So, I think I would expect all the forces in the area to help the Liberian population.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A word that peacekeepers are on the way has not eased the warfare in Monrovia. Government troops launched a massive attack against rebels who are holding positions on three key bridges in the capital city. CNN's Jeff Koinange comes to us via phone for the war zone with the very latest, there -- Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. Let's not forget, this is the very first time that President Taylor has actually set a date for his stepping down. Before it was leaders of the region who were setting dates. This is the very first time that he said he would leave and he was very precise, he says at exactly 11:59 in the morning he will step down because the new president has been to be sworn in at exactly noon on that day.
Welcome news for the foreign ministers who are meeting with him, they actually spent about two hours with him and also they came out and they said, peacekeepers will be on the ground in less than 48 hours time. Expecting about 2500 West African peacekeepers, hopefully after that, much needed aide workers coming on the ground to provide relief to tens of thousands of displaced Liberians suffering, fleeing, looking for food, looking for water. And Fredricka, it's gotten so bad here in the capital of Monrovia, people have resorted to eating dogs and cats and because it is a rainy season, they are actually drinking water from puddles that have accumulated from the rain.
So, a desperate, deplorable situation here on the ground, even though this was welcome news will come to most people who do see president Taylor as the problem, once he steps down, peacekeepers will come, then aide workers, then possibly, a U.S. deployment, after that -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Jeff is it too early to -- to tell what the reaction from the people -- the citizens there, just is, after President Taylor emerged with this announcement of his stepping down on august 11th?
KOINANGE: A little soon for the citizens, but I did speak with rebel a leadership meeting in nearby Accra. They say they welcome the move, they welcome the date. They said finally the president has set a date to step down and that's what wanted, however they insisted they were going to hold their positions for now, until peacekeepers are on the ground who will outline what the boundaries are, what the limits are for where they can man their troops. So, yes it welcome news, so far. We have yet to see the reaction on the streets of Monrovia, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jeff in Monrovia, thanks very much for joining us on the telephone. We'll be right back, right after this.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Departure>
Aired August 2, 2003 - 12:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WHITFIELD: Well, turning now to the latest moves to end the fighting in Liberia. President Charles Taylor tells CNN he will step down and leave Liberia August 11. The announcement comes ahead of Monday's arrival of the first group of West African peacekeepers in Liberia. Meanwhile, the United Nation's security council has authorized a multinational force to go in after the regional troops, as early as October.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECURITY GENERAL: This multinational force will have to pacify -- help pacify the situation, get humanitarian assistance to the population whiles the U.N. prepares to deploy a full law enforce. So, I think I would expect all the forces in the area to help the Liberian population.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A word that peacekeepers are on the way has not eased the warfare in Monrovia. Government troops launched a massive attack against rebels who are holding positions on three key bridges in the capital city. CNN's Jeff Koinange comes to us via phone for the war zone with the very latest, there -- Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. Let's not forget, this is the very first time that President Taylor has actually set a date for his stepping down. Before it was leaders of the region who were setting dates. This is the very first time that he said he would leave and he was very precise, he says at exactly 11:59 in the morning he will step down because the new president has been to be sworn in at exactly noon on that day.
Welcome news for the foreign ministers who are meeting with him, they actually spent about two hours with him and also they came out and they said, peacekeepers will be on the ground in less than 48 hours time. Expecting about 2500 West African peacekeepers, hopefully after that, much needed aide workers coming on the ground to provide relief to tens of thousands of displaced Liberians suffering, fleeing, looking for food, looking for water. And Fredricka, it's gotten so bad here in the capital of Monrovia, people have resorted to eating dogs and cats and because it is a rainy season, they are actually drinking water from puddles that have accumulated from the rain.
So, a desperate, deplorable situation here on the ground, even though this was welcome news will come to most people who do see president Taylor as the problem, once he steps down, peacekeepers will come, then aide workers, then possibly, a U.S. deployment, after that -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Jeff is it too early to -- to tell what the reaction from the people -- the citizens there, just is, after President Taylor emerged with this announcement of his stepping down on august 11th?
KOINANGE: A little soon for the citizens, but I did speak with rebel a leadership meeting in nearby Accra. They say they welcome the move, they welcome the date. They said finally the president has set a date to step down and that's what wanted, however they insisted they were going to hold their positions for now, until peacekeepers are on the ground who will outline what the boundaries are, what the limits are for where they can man their troops. So, yes it welcome news, so far. We have yet to see the reaction on the streets of Monrovia, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jeff in Monrovia, thanks very much for joining us on the telephone. We'll be right back, right after this.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Departure>
