HARBEL, Liberia (Aug. 15, 2003) — Liberian refugees numbering in the thousands are pouring onto Bridgestone/Firestone's natural rubber plantation near Harbel to escape the fighting in the capital of Monrovia, about 35 miles away, according to a BFS spokesman.
The plantation continues to produce both latex and block rubber, the spokesman said, but still can't ship because the port of Monrovia was closed by the rebel group holding it. New fighting between government troops and rebel forces broke out Aug. 12, the day after President Charles Taylor officially resigned and went into exile in Nigeria. Some 2,300 U.S. troops have been waiting off the Liberian coast in warships, and some 200 troops have now entered Monrovia.