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Title: Liberia Fighting Affects Lutherans ELCA NEWS SERVICE April 15, 1996 LIBERIA FIGHTING AFFECTS LUTHERANS Heavy fighting in Monrovia, Liberia, that began during the Easter weekend has affected the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) and missionary staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Several of the warring factions which have been part of the interim government installed last September began fighting, causing many casualties and heavy loss of property. The Lutheran compound in Monrovia, site of the offices and homes of Lutheran Church in Liberia staff and the offices of Lutheran World Federation (LWF), was heavily looted. The homes of LWF senior staff, not within the compound, were also looted. The renewed fighting began when an attempt was made to arrest one of the faction leaders, Roosevelt Johnson, barricaded in his home six blocks from the Lutheran compound. Johnson had been accused of murder by the transitional ruling Council of State. Heavy exchange of fire resulted and thousands of people fled their homes. Evacuation of many expatriates in Monrovia is underway. ELCA missionaries Deanna Isaacson and Bette McCrandall live in apartments in the Lutheran compound. Foreign personnel, including McCrandall, were moved to a safer location at the compound of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and evacuated April 13 to Senegal. Isaacson is at Phebe Hospital, 120 miles from Monrovia where she was celebrating Easter. LCL Bishop Sumoward Harris was in Denmark on a speaking tour. LCL Bishop Emeritus Ronald Diggs is presumed to be at his home which is not on the Lutheran compound. He has been active in the Interfaith Mediation Council which sought to reconcile differences among the interim government's leaders. Statements made by Diggs and the council recently resulted in Diggs' temporary arrest. Dr. Walter Gwenigale, Phebe Hospital administrator, is not in the country. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956