SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: A sense of hope is spreading across Liberia. West African peacekeepers are expected to arrive tomorrow forcing rebel fighters to retreat, and President Charles Taylor has pledged to step down on August 11. For the latest, we now turn to CNN's Jeff Koinange who is in Monrovia -- Jeff.</s>JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sean, you put it absolutely right by saying a sense of hope, because less than 24 hours after President Taylor announced he was going to leave, already there is a mood swing in downtown Monrovia. Even though, I must add, fighting does continue in the northern limits of the city. We were actually down by -- pretty close -- about a hundred yards from where the fighting was, and it was pretty intense. We didn't stay that long. But it was pretty intense. Government forces trying to push rebels back to what they call the Freeport area. About a five-minute drive from there literally tens of thousands of Liberians spilling into the streets looking for food, looking for water, looking for loved ones. Remember, 14 straight days of fighting. People have been -- have resorted to eating cats and dogs and drinking mud water as it stands right in the street. Now they're coming out, knowing less than 24 hours from now peacekeepers will be on the ground. And they are telling us they cannot wait for them to get on the ground. They said it's going to be a big party on Monday; they're going to welcome the peacekeepers because, they believe, they'll bring about peace and they'll bring about a sense of security -- Sean.</s>CALLEBS: Jeff Koinange, thanks very much for joining us from Liberia. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Taylor Pledges to Step Down on August 11