U.N. soldiers in Liberia will quash any disorder arising from the suspension of a former rebel leader from his job as parliament speaker over allegations of graft, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday. Speaker George Dweh, a founding member of one of the main rebel groups behind years of on-off war in the West African nation, had promised to defy the suspension order and go to work on Wednesday, threatening a showdown in the capital Monrovia. But he later decided not to go, staying holed up in his residence on the outskirts of the city. "Knowing what most of our people are capable of doing when it comes to looting and disturbances -- they take advantage to cause confusion -- the speaker decided not to go to work," his assistant, Wleh Davis, told Reuters. Liberia's top U.N. official, Jacques Klein, said earlier on Wednesday that his mission (UNMIL) had learned of a letter sent to international mediators by "generals" from former warring factions, threatening to disrupt the peace process over Dweh. "In this regard, UNMIL strongly warns that it will deal firmly and decisively with any attempt to derail the peace process," Klein said in a statement, adding the U.N. was ready to take measures necessary to preserve order at parliament. Dozens of U.N. soldiers from Nigeria and Nepal, some wearing riot gear, were posted at the parliament buildings in Monrovia on Wednesday morning. Two armoured personnel carriers were also parked in the grounds and Liberian police were also on hand.
