For the past few days, the Liberian Government has intensified its efforts in trying to eliminate LURD’s presence in the northern town of Ganta. Our latest reports indicate that the next government offensive will be designed to kill innocent civilians, destroy property and burn Ganta down. In a statement confirming these fears, a pro-Government General ominously proclaimed, “If we can’t have Ganta, no one will. We will level the place down to make it unlivable for any dog.” The LURD field commander General Langasa told our correspondent that Saturday was the most tense in the battle for Ganta, “Pro-government forces came from several entry points into Ganta, but we stood our ground. Those that came from Sanniquellie will not try it again.”

LURD’s presence in Ganta has become an embarrassment for Taylor’s government. LURD is in full control of Ganta, once a strategic base for Taylor’s troops, and with the arrival of the rainy season, movement will be slowed and the government’s chances of retaking Ganta will decrease. As result, Charles Taylor recently ordered ATU officers to forcibly recruit children, men and women or anyone for active duty to deprive Ganta as a rest stop for LURD forces en route for Monrovia. ATU agents are going from farm to farm forcing children to the front lines. Reports from Bassa reveal that truck-loads of fearful children are heading toward Nimba. One commander of the pro-government fighters told our correspondent in Buchanan that they were going to flush LURD out from Ganta. “We are in a rush to free Ganta or take enough areas before
the raining season.”

Meanwhile, some Nimba officials are taking advantage of the Ganta fiasco to financially enrich themselves, according to our sources. These Monrovia-based officials asked Taylor for 3 million US dollars for mobilizing citizens of Nimba, but the President came up with 400,000 USD. These same officials went back to ask Taylor for more arms and Taylor told them to fight with what they have. Why would he do this? Taylor fears that once armed, the Nimbains will turn against him. (In fact he has accused Ellen Sheriff of being a member of LURD attacks on Ganta and working with some Nimba officials to take support from
him.) As a result of a lack of weapons, the condition of the children who are fighting has gone from bad to worse. These children, whose basic human rights have been violated and whose presence is criminally forbidden by international law, are being sent on suicide missions. A teacher who just arrived in Monrovia by way of Bassa said that not only are the children forced to fight, but given the fact that they are sent off without training or proper weapons, they are being recruited to commit suicide rather than fight. “The government of Taylor has failed to protect us and is now subjecting our children to such cruelty,” the teacher criticized.

In a related story, the President of the Liberian Mandingo Association of New York (LIMANY), continues his campaign to calm and promote unity among the Liberian Mandingo community with daily reports of horrific atrocities coming out of Liberia. LIMANY continues to strongly condemn every violent action in Liberia. Mr. Jabateh-Randolph, LIMANY’s President reacted to hearing that the Mano and Gio have Mandingo hostages in Sanniquellie in a strong manner like he did to Senator Koukou’s divisive statement: The statement that Mandingo people are killing Nimba people is equally as divisive as saying that Mano and Gio are holding Mandingoes hostages. We must understand one thing, the fighting in Ganta is between two forces, the Liberian government and LURD. Those two forces should be held responsible, not any given tribe. In our pursuit for peace in Liberia, we are making all efforts to contact and engage all parties in the continuous fighting in order that they will cease-fire. We will continue to demand that all factions protect both Liberians and non-Liberians in their controlled territories. He emotionally concluded: "Our people are tired of war!"