Fighters loyal to Liberian President Charles Taylor reinforced roadblocks around Monrovia today as rebels advanced on the capital, raising fears of further battle on its streets.
Renewed fighting broke out yesterday as West African countries struggled to deploy an initial peacekeeping force of up to 1,500 troops in a first step towards ending 14 years of almost non-stop war that has spread beyond Liberia's borders.
The United States has said it might be willing to make a commitment once that force is in place, but no date has yet been set and the work of a regional team briefed with marking out the vague and disputed front line has been delayed by weeks.
Rebel group Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) yesterday advanced towards the key command centre of Combat Camp, 22 kilometres from the city limits, shattering an already brittle truce.
Terrified civilians took to the roads, racing to stay ahead of mortar bombs that typically marks a rebel advance. Last month, LURD twice drove into Monrovia in fighting that killed at least 700 civilians.