Two US warships arrived off the coast of Liberia on Tuesday to support peacemaking efforts to end 14 years of civil war in the west African state, according to reports reaching Lagos from Monrovia on Tuesday.

The US vessels carrying about 2,300 Marines could help the regional force with communications and logistics, according to US officials.

The United States has yet to decide whether to commit ground troops to the war-torn country founded by freed American slaves in1847.

About 300 Nigerian soldiers flew into the Robertsfield International Airport, 45 km east of Monrovia on Monday to help police a ceasefire in the war-torn country.

South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday that Liberian President Charles Taylor would hand power over to his vice-president Moses Blah on Monday next week.

Mbeki said that the Liberian president called him on Monday, saying that he was to hand over the government to the vice-president on Monday next week.

Mbeki added that Taylor would leave on the "same day (Monday) or the day after to go to Nigeria, where he has been offered asylum.

Nigeria, the strongest powerhouse in West Africa, is the main military to take charge peacekeeping mission in the sub-region.

The civil war in the past 14 years has made Liberia among the most miserable places in the world and the latest unrest since 1998 has forced some 300,000 Liberians to flee to neighboring countries and claimed thousands more lives.

(Xinhua News Agency   August 6, 2003)