The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), the Liberian dissident group fighting to oust Charles Taylor from power, claims that its forces have killed a senior government commander and wounded another. In a press statement issued today, LURD said its forces “killed many of [Taylor’s] ATU rebel soldiers including Gen. Mark Gweh, one of his strong commanders.” LURD also claimed that Col Benjamin Yeaten, Taylor’s personal body guard who ordered the arrest of Sam Dokie and family, has been hit. BCC reported yesterday that a senior government official was wounded in Tubmanburg. It is not clear as to whether that military official is in fact Col Yeaten as LURD claimed in its press statement. The press statement, however, did not speak of LURD’s casualties in this battle to control Tubmanburg. Below is the full text of the statement:
Offfice of the National Spokesman
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy(LURD)
Voinjama, Lofa County, Republic of Liberia
Press Release
July 10, 2002
In our fullest determination to oust the dictatorial regime of Taylor in a matter of time, our Executive Strike Force Unit is seriously engaged in fierce battle with the NPP Monrovia based ruthless ATU rebel soldiers between the Tubmanburg - Monrovia highway. Our forces are still fully in control of the city of Tubmanburg, Lofa Bridge and many other city - towns in Northwestern Liberia.
Knowing that Taylor is bent on deceiving himself thinking that he is running a psychological warfare propaganda rooted on lies, our forces are committed to taking Monrovia at all cost.This is the most serious combat engagement since we started our military activities in the country. Taylor himself is directing his untrained and indisciplined troops from Brewersvile, an outskitch surrounding to Monrovia because he is smelling his fall.
We have captured several arms and ammunitions, killed many of his ATU rebel soldiers including Gen. Mark Gweh,one of his strong commanders. Taylor's death squad chief Col. Benjamin Yeaten who killed the late opposition politician Sam Saye Dokie has been seriously hit by our forces on the frontline in Bomi Hills.
We are calling on all Liberians and the international community not to listen to the lies of Taylor and his cronies. This is their trademark and track record.We are in full control of the situation. Our target is to conclude this war by kicking the tyrrant out once and for all so that our people will have peace, security, freedom and economic growth throughout the country and the Mano River Union basin.
We take this time to congratulate all of the participates who asembled in Ouagadougou to dicuss our country political, social and economic calamities created by the satanic acts of Taylor and his Libyan allies.We also call on the Ouagadougou authorities to further demonstrate concrete actions of disassociation from the sub regionl terrorist activities speadheaded by Taylor and his cohorts in the West African region.Taylor, as an international criminal, is not worth associating with in any thing.We urge the Ouagadougou authorities to abandon Taylor's criminal enterprise so as to maintain a very clean record in the community of African nations.