Momentum is building to get West African peacekeepers into Liberia as the arrival of an advance team offers a spark of hope for Liberians suffering amid civil war.
For 13 days, President Charles Taylor's forces have been battling to get rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) out of the besieged capital Monrovia. The government says well over 1,000 people have been killed in the latest rebel attempt to topple Mr Taylor.
The West African team arrived in Liberia to prepare for the deployment for Nigerian peacekeepers to move in and keep apart the volatile fighters.
Three US warships are also sailing on the way to provide support for the force and possibly land troops in a country founded by freed American slaves more than 150 years ago.
In New York, the United States introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution to authorise a peacekeeping force, preparing for any future US and UN deployment in Liberia.
The resolution would give a UN mandate to the West African troops or those from other countries, such as the United States. It would also pave the way for a UN peacekeeping operation to take over in October.