MONROVIA, May 4: In broad daylight, African peacekeeping troops sneaked Roosevelt Johnson out of a besieged army barracks in an armoured convoy and spirited him to the American Embassy, where a helicopter carried him out of the country, reports AP.

The departure of the embattled faction leader on Friday could mean an end to the fighting that began when troo-?s loyal to his rival. Charles aylor. tried to arrest Johnson on murder charges a month ago.

"We see his departure as a surrender," Taylor told CNN by telephone. "It's a welcome development.'1

But it was unclear whether Johnson considered it a surrender or whether he planned to return to Monrovia after talks on the six-year-old Liberia crisis that are scheduled for Accra. Ghana, next

week.

The flight was the outcome of two aays of behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts involving UN. US. and peacekeeping officials who negotiated an April 19 truce only to see It collapse 10 days later. Efforts to revive the truce increase in urgency after Taylor on Thursday vowed an all-out assault on Johnson.

The threat sent thousands of civilians rushing to the port Friday to try to escape by boat and prompted the United States to increase security at its embassy, where fighting Tuesday led to the deaths of three Liberian gunmen shot by US Marines.

Late Thursday. US Ambassador William Milam. UN special envoy Anthony Nyakyi. and leaders of the African peacekeeping army deployed in the city said they had a ceasefire promise' from Johnson’s side.