UN seeks $500m to rebuild Liberia

Many parts of Liberia remain unsafe

The United Nations will ask for between $400m and $500m to help rebuild Liberia at a donor conference in New York next month, it says.

Liberia is growing more stable and secure by the day, said UN special envoy Jacques Klein, adding that the improvement was "irreversible".

Liberia has been devastated by 14 years of war, which ended in August.

The UN has some 7,500 peacekeepers in the country and the former enemies have formed a power-sharing government.

However, on Thursday, the process of disarming the estimated 40,000 fighters was again postponed - until February.

When it started in December, some militiamen rioted, demanding the immediate payment of compensation for handing in their weapons.

The extra time is to allow joint teams of UN peacekeepers and former militia-members to explain the process to rank-and-file fighters.

'Common sense'

The latest postponement was decided on Thursday after a meeting between rebel groups, the transitional government and the UN mission in Liberia (Unmil).

The BBC's Mark Doyle in Monrovia says the UN decision to delay the disarmament programme is a victory for common sense.

Disarmament was postponed after violence erupted

Frontline rebel commanders had said they had not been involved by the UN in explaining the disarmament process to their fighters on the ground.

General Soyeba Kamara of the main rebel group Lurd (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) said he was pleased the UN was involving them more.

"Today's meeting has been one of the best meetings we have ever had," he said. "This time around they have involved all of the stakeholders to contribute to the peace process and we will be telling our brothers the disarmament is on course.

"Gradually we will produce a result."

Lack of discipline

UN spokesperson Margaret Novicki said all the factions had agreed to a carefully planned demobilisation process.

Teams will be sent to set up disarmament centres in Tubmanburg, Buchanan, Gbarnga and Monrovia.

This phase is due to take about 20-30 days.

Under the programme the fighters will receive $300 each for laying down their arms.

They will then get food rations, counselling and education, according to the UN plan.

The problems included lack of adequate peacekeepers and poor command structures among militia groups that frustrated the shepherding of fighters to disarmament sites in a safe and disciplined manner.

The UN has some 7,500 peacekeepers in Liberia, however they are mostly based in the capital, Monrovia and large parts of the country remain under rebel control.