U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for an end to fighting between government troops and rebel forces in Liberia.

In a statement Monday, Mr. Annan warned that the renewed fighting threatens the stability of Liberia and urged the two sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.

The secretary-general appealed to the rebels to respect the lives of civilians. He also urged neighboring nations to keep armed groups from using their territories to launch attacks.

Liberia has accused Guinea of backing rebels seeking to overthrow the government. Guinea has accused Liberia of supporting Guinean insurgents, as well as rebels from neighboring Sierra Leone who have attacked Guinean villages.

Liberian Information Minister Reginald Goodridge Monday repeated government claims of forcing rebels from the town of Klay, 40 kilometers of the capital, Monrovia. The advance on Klay was the closest the rebels, known as Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, had come to the Monrovia. T he rebels deny the claim, saying they control large areas of the country and are poised to attack the capital.

The capture of Klay by the rebels prompted President Charles Taylor to impose a state of emergency Friday. The Information Minister said the capital was calm Monday.

At the same time, aid agencies report thousands of refugees have swamped camps around Monrovia as a result of the battle for Klay, which had been a refuge for Liberians displaced by violence in the past two years.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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