Liberia’s civil war is officially over, but outside the capital, it doesn’t look much like peace: Rebels are looting, pro-government militias are raping, and civilians are being forced to till fields to feed hungry fighters, residents say. Despite an August peace deal and an expanding peacekeeping mission slated to become the United Nations’ largest, hundreds of thousands of civilians are still holed up in displaced camps afraid to return home. “If you venture into places that are not under United Nations peacekeepers, you do so at your own risk,” said 37-year-old Pastor Aaron Sao, who fled the central village of Gbarnga in August during battles between rebels and pro-government forces. The U.N. peacekeeping mission, now numbering 4,500 troops, is expected to grow to 15,000 over the next few months. So far only a few hundred soldiers have been deployed to key trouble-spots outside the capital, Monrovia. Full Story
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