The government has declared a state of emergency because LURD rebels have advanced to within 40 kilometers of the capital. The government blames the UN arms embargo (imposed because of Liberia's involvement with the illegal diamond trade and Sierra Leone rebels). Some government opponents say it's all a ploy to cancel upcoming elections and to get the UN to lift the sanctions. After all the LURD represent remnants of the previous dictatorship, which was deposed in 1990 and was arguably worse than the current one.