Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 30, 1990 TAG: 9007300263
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A/1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MONROVIA, LIBERIA LENGTH: Medium
One witness who visited the Lutheran Church compound in the Sinkor district of the beleaguered capital said he had seen women with their heads smashed open or blown to pieces by bullets, babies still tied to their backs.
He said he had seen other bodies hanging from the window frames of the church building, apparently killed while trying to escape.
"I saw dead bodies all around," the source said. "This is genocide." He spoke on condition of anonymity.
Refugees at a Methodist church across the street fled when they heard the killing.
Thousands of refugees fleeing the civil war between rebel forces and the crumbling government of President Samuel Doe are crowded into refugee camps in the area. Their numbers have swelled recently as rebel troops have stormed into Monrovia.
The witnesses said the soldiers broke into the church compound at about 2 a.m. when the refugees were asleep. There was no telephone in the compound and the victims had no way of calling for help.
Most of the refugees were members of the Gio and Mano tribes, which have formed the main support for rebel armies. Most of Doe's troops are from his Krahn tribe and the Mandingo tribe.
Thousands of Krahns and Mandingos have been fleeing into neighboring countries after reports that rebels had executed hundreds of their tribesmen.
As street battles raged in downtown Monrovia, rebel leader Prince Johnson seemed more preoccupied with his power struggle with a rival leader than with victory over Doe.
Johnson, in his first meeting with foreign correspondents, said Sunday he was leading the main rebel attack on Monrovia. He said he had 7,000 men under his command, including 4,000 deserters from Doe's army.
Johnson said he would install a civilian government after Doe is overthrown and would not allow his rival, Charles Taylor, to become president.
Taylor's forces remained in Paynesville, about six miles east of downtown, where their advance has been blocked for several weeks by stiff resistance from government troops. Taylor claims to have at least 5,000 fighters.
by CNB