LIBERIA CHAOS AND LAWLESSNESS ON STREETS OF MONROVIA

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(14 Apr 1996) English/Nat • • Dramatic new pictures show the true chaos and lawlessness on the streets of Monrovia. • • Looters openly pillage - despite the presence of West African peace keepers in the Liberian capital. • • Foreigners sheltering behind the safety of the walls of the U-S embassy have told horrific tales of violence. • • Youths prowl the streets, showing off their booty, stripped from the abandoned homes and offices of Monrovia. • • They pack the stolen goods and themselves into a badly overloaded car and drive away - knowing no one is there to stop them. • • Some are armed with machetes - others have automatic weapons - turning the capital into a killing ground. • • The safest place for foreigners is the heavily guarded U-S embassy. • • It's the first stop for foreigners fleeing the country and the centre of the small remaining aid operation. • • American food is handed out to the growing number of hungry and homeless Liberians. • • Those who've made it into the embassy have usually lost everything they own - and are lucky to have escaped with their lives. • • SOUNDBITE: • Q: What did you lose? • A: everything. They took everything - silverware everything. They took our clothes - everything - our bags, they put guns in them. • SUPERCAPTION: VOX POP - foreigner fleeing Liberia • • Despite the chaos and violence in Monrovia, the U-S Ambassador refuses to abandon Liberians to their fate. • • SOUNDBITE: • Well let me assure them that we have no plans to pull out of here. This embassy will stay here as far as I know, and we intend to stay and be active in the peace process and try to at the same time meet the humanitarian concerns which I think we have as a result of all of this violence. • SUPERCAPTION: US Ambassador William Milan • • West African peace troops patrol the streets - but so far they appear unwilling or unable to put a stop to the violence and looting. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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