West African mediators yesterday suspended ongoing peace talks on Liberia for a week, saying renewed fighting between rebels and President Charles Taylor's forces had compromised the process.

"In light of the prevailing circumstances, the moderator will be unable to take the peace process forward and is constrained to adjourn the talks for a week," a statement by signed by the chief mediator, former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar, said.

The talks, brokered by the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and a UN-backed international contact group on Liberia, led to a truce signed between the belligerents last week.

But the two sides renewed fighting almost immediately afterwards.

The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (Lurd) main rebel group announced a unilateral ceasefire yesterday in what it said was an effort to keep the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged capital Monrovia from getting worse.

Abubakar said Ecowas defence and security officials would "meet in an emergency session to consider the situation," during the week-long break. - Sapa-AFP.