Monrovia (Fides Service) - Christians and Muslims are playing an important role in the struggle to restore peace in Liberia, through the Interreligious Council of Liberia IRCL formed in 1990 by the Liberian Council of Churches and the National Islamic Council. Christian and Muslim representatives have had meetings with President Charles Taylor and with the LURD rebels Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy and they have facilitated meetings between the rebels and representatives of the West Africa Economic Community (WAEC).
At the beginning of April, representatives of 18 Liberian political parties met IRCL leaders and signed a common appeal addressed both to government and rebels to agree on a cease fire.
IRCL, chaired by the Catholic Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis of Monrovia, has the support of the WAEC which has been trying for years to bring an end to Liberia's civil war.
The Catholic Bishops of Liberia have repeatedly voiced concern for the escalation of fighting which brings more suffering to a population already sorely tried by years of war. The Bishops also denounce the slow pace of WAEC sponsored peace talks and they say a meeting with all parties involved must be held as soon as possible.
In 2000 LURD started a civil war against the president Charles Taylor who had been elected in 1997 at the end of a previous civil war. Taylor is accused by the international community of supporting the Revolutionary United Front RUF in Sierra Leone, a rebel group involved in illegal diamond trafficking via Liberia. In turn Mr Taylor accuses Sierra Leone and Guinea of backing the LURD rebels in his country.
Most of the West African region around Liberia is subject to instability due to the activity of guerrilla groups on both sides of the country's borders. The most recent example was Ivory Coast where there are two groups of guerrilla fighters who are mostly Liberians. More than ethnic, the violence is criminal, with attacks on civilians, smuggling of diamonds and arms. LM (Fides Service 24/4/2003 EM lines 32 Words: 387)