Liberia on the day after Taylor's departure

(12 Aug 2003)
1. Wide shot street scene in Monrovia
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop, local resident:
"In my opinion President Taylor leaving the country, I am very happy, all the Liberian people are very happy because we are offered peace now. And now we are asking the Lurd rebel to lay down their arms and come and join us because we are in a struggle for peace."
3. Various black market currency exchange
4. SOUNDBITE: ( English) Voxpop:
"Well we are happy that he has left so that we can have peace in the country. And we are so happy that at least the Americans are waiting to send troops in on the ground so at least we can go back to how it was."
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop:
"My reaction to the President leaving the country yesterday is that it paved the way for peace in Liberia, because in my own feeling the President had been the main obstacle for peace in this country so his leaving yesterday will pave the way for everlasting peace in the country."
6. Mid shot woman selling vegetables
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop:
"His departure is a very good one, simply because of the Liberian people, we don't believe in persons we believe in people. I said, how you say, it's all about the people, let the people survive.
(Question: And his replacement President Blah?)
It's a very good opportunity because he couldn't leave a vacuum, you know a power vacuum is very dangerous, you never know what might happen. So Moses Blah in the chair now is a very favourable for a short time or long time, however long he is there. So this President is very good."
8. Street scene
9. Various wide shots Monrovia
10. Wide shot government soldiers on parade
11. Various rebel soldiers on parade
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) General Benjamin Yeaten, Commander, Liberian government forces:
"I say this and I mean it. Any soldier that is caught behaving dishonourably will leave of their own accord. Military will take action.
(Do you have any word on the rebels?)
You know details on the rebels, we have from the President today, they are welcome and in the first place we ask..I exchanged my telephone number with the field commander of the Lurd forces and their chief of staff so I am very very proud of myself. The level of peace process that has gone far, so that at this stage I can exchange my telephone number with the rebels. So I'm very, very proud of myself."
13. Wide shot US helicopters flying overhead

STORYLINE:

Liberians in the city of Monrovia were optimistic on Tuesday that the departure of former President Charles Taylor would pave the way for peace in their troubled country.

Taylor handed over power to Vice President Moses Blah, who was sworn in on Monday at a ceremony attended by regional leaders.

Shortly before his departure, three United States (U.S.) warships, which had been anchored over the horizon for the last week or so, appeared near the coast.

Liberians rushed to the beaches, hopeful that U.S. peacekeepers were arriving to help end nearly 14 years of bloodshed in the country.

But no forces disembarked and the ships soon withdrew from sight.

However on Tuesday Liberians in Monrovia still appeared to believe that the Americans would deploy peacekeepers.

Despite ordering forces to the region the U.S. had refused to put troops on the ground until Taylor left the country.

Just seven US Marines are on the ground in Monrovia to liaise between US officials and the West African (ECOWAS) peacekeeping force, which started deploying last week.




The war had left Taylor controlling little but downtown.



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