Liberian soldiers fleeing a rebel advance in the east commandeered a timber-company vessel at gunpoint, ordering the captain to carry them to the capital, passengers said Tuesday. Fleeing civilians among the 1,000-1,500 people on board filed off the ship Tuesday in Monrovia, descending with their goats, chickens, bedding and other household materials. The ship set sail Sunday from the eastern Liberian port city of Harper, which U.N. workers said fell to Liberia’s rebels over the weekend. The offensive has sent untold thousands fleeing, with more than 10,000 crossing into neighboring Ivory Coast Sunday and Monday. President Charles Taylor’s government has not confirmed or denied the fall of Harper – but the arrival of the large numbers of fleeing soldiers aboard the ship strongly supported the claim. Full Story
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