MONROVIA. Liberia. Feb 1: Rebel fighters lined up to surrender weapons Friday, the deadline for nationwide disarmament. But some made clear they were reluctant to give up the guns that had been their livelihood for seven years, reports AP.

Questions remain over how successful the disarmament programme has been. By Friday afternoon the total number of demobilised fighters was estimated at about 17.000, far lower than the 60.000 fighters the United Nations estimates are in the country.

Peacekeeping officials said they would not give the final disarmament figure until Saturday.

The disarmament began in November under an accord signed last year by the country's six warlords to end Liberia's seven-year civil war. If it succeeds — and 13 previous ones have failed — elections for a new president will be held May »0.

Faction leaders recently have insisted the UN number

was far inflated and that the actual number of fighters is about 23.000. The commander of a multinational African peacekeeping force enforcing disarmament. Gen. Victor Malu. put the figure at about 35.000 and said he would be happy if half of them were demobilised by Friday.

After Friday, he has warned, peacekeepers will arrest anyone seen carrying weapons.

Several of those lined up Friday at a disarmament site in the capital. Monrovia, said they were not happy to be giving up the only way of life they ever had known.

"No. I want to keep it." 18-year-old Paul Mitchell of the Ulimo-J faction said as he prepared to surrender his AK-47 assault rifle. "1 want revenge, but the government is forcing me to give it up."

Ulimo-J was at the centre of fighting from April to June that devastated the capital, killirjfc at least 1,500- people; and , prompting the United states' ' military airlift of foreigners from the city.