Civilians flee as Liberian town falls to rebels

TOTOTA, Liberia, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of civilians fled the latest bout of fighting in Liberia on Tuesday as rebels pushed down a highway towards the capital Monrovia, undermining an already rocky peace deal.

Defence Minister Daniel Chea, fleeing civilians and government soldiers said the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) had seized Gbatala, a town 130 km (80 miles) from Monrovia on the highway to Ivory Coast.

The rebel advance through Liberia's lawless interior came after a weekend of skirmishes with government troops and accusations of a civilian massacre, prompting calls for an African peacekeeping force to deploy outside the capital.

"LURD is in Gbatala now. This is a serious violation of the ceasefire. The government has no interest in fighting and that is why we are urging (West African peacekeepers) to deploy to the area," Chea told Reuters.

Just under an hour's drive south of Gbatala at the town of Totota, terrified civilians trooped towards Monrovia with meagre bundles of possessions on their heads, hoping to find safety in the coastal capital policed by 1,500 Nigerian troops.

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