Monrovia - The United Nations has opened a new phase in its effort to return peace to Liberia with door-to-door searches for weapons, criminal prosecutions of those still holding arms and authorisation to use force to subdue belligerents.

"We are deployed in a high state of readiness to do what is needed to continue to return the city to normal," Commissioner Mark Kroeker, of the UN civilian police, said yesterday.

And the population, weary of war and rocked by three days of riots here that left at least 14 people dead, more than 200 injured and countless properties destroyed, is right behind them.

"They need force to take the guns from these children," said Pastor Emmanuel Karr. "For the deadly riots to end, UNmil has to take all the arms," agreed Imam Mohamed Fofana.

"Only the use of force will make that possible."

Peacekeepers began combing the most restive neighbourhoods in the Monrovia suburb of Paynesville on Sunday evening, netting weapons, petrol bombs and making a series of arrests.

That arms still flourished here came as no surprise, given the disparity between the combatants who disarmed to the UN at eight sites nationwide - more than 93 000 - and the weapons they turned in - just 26 000.

But the willingness of the former fighters to use them, alongside civilians armed with rocks, sticks and petrol bombs, speaks volumes to the level of frustration felt around the country still without electricity, running water and decent roads.

Ostensibly sparked by a land dispute between rival ethnic groups, the rioters torched dozens of churches, mosques and religious schools.

• This article was originally published on page 2 of The Cape Times on November 02, 2004

Published on the Web by IOL on 2004-11-02 01:56:00