War Returns To Monrovia

The rumor that west African peacekeepers had landed sparked a spontaneous demonstration by war-weary Monrovians on Saturday morning to demand an end to the decade-long conflict. But the thousands of civilians who jogged toward the front lines chanting "No more war, we want peace" were sent back by government troops, and peacekeepers failed to appear. The fragile, monthlong truce between government and rebels seemed to definitively break down as rebel forces took a crucial bridge and fighting broke out in the center of the city.

At around sunset, President Charles Taylor — whose ouster is...