Charles Taylor, President of Liberia, Agrees to Step Down

Charles Taylor, the President of Liberia, has agreed to resign from his position on August 11. This announcement comes as fighting intensifies in Monrovia and just a day after Taylor met with envoys from West African countries to discuss the deployment of peacekeepers in Liberia and his exit from power. Taylor stated that he would only resign after the arrival of the peacekeepers. A group of Nigerian soldiers is expected to arrive in Monrovia on Monday. This action follows the United Nations Security Council's approval of a draft resolution for the deployment of soldiers from member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia. The dire humanitarian situation in Liberia was also a factor that expedited the resolution's approval. John Negroponte, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, described the action as timely and significant, stating that it was important for the resolution to be passed, and expressed happiness about it, believing it would support efforts to establish peace in Liberia, enforce a ceasefire, and help improve the extremely difficult humanitarian conditions in the country. Negroponte did not clarify whether President Bush would send American troops to Liberia but mentioned that U.S. forces stationed near the coast of Liberia would provide logistical support to the ECOWAS forces.