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Crisis in Liberia

Aired August 01, 2003 - 13:11   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: West African peacekeepers scheduled to arrive in Liberia on Monday, but their mission didn't begin soon enough for the nine civilians who were killed in mortar attacks in Monrovia. Four children among the victims today. Government troops and rebel forces blamed each other for the attack.
West African leaders are in Monrovia, paving the way for the arrival of peacekeepers, and trying to convince President Charles Taylor that it really is time to go.

Jeff Koinange is there. He is on the phone with the latest.

Jeff, how do people feel there. Will he go?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It depends on who you ask. Some of them feel he will go. Others feel that he won't go. Case in point, the West African foreign ministers who are supposed to meet him, well, that meeting has been postponed indefinitely, maybe Saturday at the earliest. And the reason is, apparently President Taylor has gone off to the second largest city of Jukanan (ph), which (UNINTELLIGIBLE) forces over the weekend. Apparently he said, tried to find out what the positions are, and he didn't have time to meet the foreign ministers, which leads some people to feel that these are delay tactics.

But the foreign ministers are determined. They said they will spend the night in war-ravaged Monrovia until they see him and deliver the message, mainly that peacekeepers will be on the ground in 72 hours, and three days later, President Taylor must step down and leave the country -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And of course, Jeff, a lot of people wanting to know, throughout the world, will Charles Taylor be held accountable for the alleged war crimes?

KOINANGE: That is still a very, very good question, and a question he'll have to answer once he stepped down. The prosecutor in next door in Sierra Leone, say they'll pursue Charles Taylor wherever he goes. So he's not quite out of the wood just yet. He's going to have to get himself a good legal team, because the prosecutors are determined to make sure he sits this that courtroom and answers those charges of indictment -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, I have to ask you this, the last time we talked, you were outside the embassy in a flack jacket, a helmet. Now you're with us by phone. How do you feel with regard to your safety and the safety of others around you? KOINANGE: I don't know -- well, you know, because we're on the ground and there's so many of us here, we feel there's a bit of safety in numbers. When you see those mortar shells falling indiscriminately, at civilians mostly, and any neighborhood in the city, you cannot quite feel so safe. But again, we're here, we're on the ground, so we might as well do what we have to do -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Koinange, you're doing amazing work for us. Thank you. We'll continue to check in with you.

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 1, 2003 - 13:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: West African peacekeepers scheduled to arrive in Liberia on Monday, but their mission didn't begin soon enough for the nine civilians who were killed in mortar attacks in Monrovia. Four children among the victims today. Government troops and rebel forces blamed each other for the attack.
West African leaders are in Monrovia, paving the way for the arrival of peacekeepers, and trying to convince President Charles Taylor that it really is time to go.

Jeff Koinange is there. He is on the phone with the latest.

Jeff, how do people feel there. Will he go?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It depends on who you ask. Some of them feel he will go. Others feel that he won't go. Case in point, the West African foreign ministers who are supposed to meet him, well, that meeting has been postponed indefinitely, maybe Saturday at the earliest. And the reason is, apparently President Taylor has gone off to the second largest city of Jukanan (ph), which (UNINTELLIGIBLE) forces over the weekend. Apparently he said, tried to find out what the positions are, and he didn't have time to meet the foreign ministers, which leads some people to feel that these are delay tactics.

But the foreign ministers are determined. They said they will spend the night in war-ravaged Monrovia until they see him and deliver the message, mainly that peacekeepers will be on the ground in 72 hours, and three days later, President Taylor must step down and leave the country -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And of course, Jeff, a lot of people wanting to know, throughout the world, will Charles Taylor be held accountable for the alleged war crimes?

KOINANGE: That is still a very, very good question, and a question he'll have to answer once he stepped down. The prosecutor in next door in Sierra Leone, say they'll pursue Charles Taylor wherever he goes. So he's not quite out of the wood just yet. He's going to have to get himself a good legal team, because the prosecutors are determined to make sure he sits this that courtroom and answers those charges of indictment -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, I have to ask you this, the last time we talked, you were outside the embassy in a flack jacket, a helmet. Now you're with us by phone. How do you feel with regard to your safety and the safety of others around you? KOINANGE: I don't know -- well, you know, because we're on the ground and there's so many of us here, we feel there's a bit of safety in numbers. When you see those mortar shells falling indiscriminately, at civilians mostly, and any neighborhood in the city, you cannot quite feel so safe. But again, we're here, we're on the ground, so we might as well do what we have to do -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jeff Koinange, you're doing amazing work for us. Thank you. We'll continue to check in with you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com