US sends five ships to evacuate foreigners trapped by ethnic fighting in Monrovia

FIVE US ships were steaming towards West Africa yesterday to evacuate foreigners trapped by fighting in the Liberian capital

FIVE US ships were steaming towards West Africa yesterday to evacuate foreigners trapped by fighting in the Liberian capital. Shelling of a barracks at the centre of the fighting in Monrovia had died down, witnesses said and Ghanaian mediators were holding talks to try to secure a new ceasefire.

The US started evacuating its citizens and other foreigners from Monrovia on Tuesday after three days of ethnic militia fighting in the city. More than 900 people have been flown out so far.

The evacuations began with round the clock helicopter flights between Monrovia and Freetown, Sierra Leone. On Thursday elite US troops ventured on to the dangerous streets of Monrovia for the first time to rescue foreigners trapped as fighting degenerated into looting and outright anarchy.

US military spokesman Cdr Bob Anderson said in Sierra Leone the destroyer USS Connolly and merchant ship USNS Bighorn had been diverted from the Mediterranean. They would link up with three ships steaming from the Adriatic and expected off West Africa in a week's time.

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Liberia's warring factions have agreed a ceasefire. Ghana's deputy foreign minister, Mr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, announced the truce late last night after negotiations which also involved the UN, aid agencies and the high command of the peace keeping force Ecomog.

Carol Coulter adds: Three of the five Irish missionaries evacuated from Liberia early yesterday morning are, expected to arrive at their order's province headquarters in Cork today. The other two, who are members of the American province, will go to the US. A development worker, Ms Theresa Kinehan, and her daughter, were thought to be with them in Dakar yesterday.

There here nine Irish members of the Society of African Missionaries (SMA) in Liberia when the fighting began, according to the SMA Irish provincial, Father John Quinlan. Six belonged to the Irish province, two to the American and one to the British,

Four decided to stay in Liberia, he said, but only one of the four is in the capital, Monrovia. Father John Kilcoyne and Father Tony Jennings, both from Co Mayo are in the town of Buchanan, about 30 miles west of Monrovia. They are safe and well.

Father Willie Brandon, from Dublin, a member of the British province, who is in Bomi Hills, about 30 miles east of Monrovia, is safe and well.

Father Jim Lee, from Castlewellan, Co Down, is the secretary of the archbishop of Monrovia. He elected to stay in Monrovia.

Those evacuated are Fathers Lee Cahill from Cork city, Matt Gilmore from Moylough, Co Galway and Lawrence Collins from Drenagh, Co Cork.

Fathers Frank Hynes from Sligo and James Hickey from Dublin were also in Dakar yesterday and were expected to leave for the US.