Ouagadougou, July 09: A three-day conference aimed at bringing peace to war-torn Liberia opened in Burkina Faso on Monday but the chances of a breakthrough were almost zero because of the absence of the Liberian government. The Liberian government said it had not been invited to the peace talks and said they were a non-event.

Although the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) group had earlier said it would boycott the conference, it was represented at the talks in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou, organisers said.

Liberian government forces have fought since 1999 against the LURD and military operations have increased since May. Bureau Report