Residents said to be illegally occupying the vicinity of the ruined Ducor Continental Hotel in Monrovia begin evacuating or will be forcefully ejected from the area, to open way for the restoration of the multimillion dollar infrastructure.

The Libyan Government will begin the reconstruction of the devastated hotel by the end of the month, the Liberian Government has said.

The place has been heavily contested for the past two years by Government and hundreds of people said to be illegally occupying the area as a result of the civil war.

The government has reportedly offered an attractive relocation package for the people who insist the place legally belongs to them. They are said to be given thousands of United States dollars and a land in the Caldwell suburb of Monrovia, but several of them have rejected the offer.

Addressing his regular press briefing Monday, Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Badio disclosed that the "President has been informed that residents of the Ducor vicinity who have taken advantage of Government's relocation package will begin vacating the premises Tuesday, August 17, 2010."

"Those who are yet to take advantage of Government's package or are refusing to leave will be served eviction notices by Government."

Many of the occupants of the area said they will not leave and prefer dying for their properties, but Mr. Badio said government will not do anything that will leased to loss of lives.

"Those who choose to die; who want to die will choose to do so. They may commit suicide, but we hope our people will not do that," the President's spokesman, who said those responsible to renovate the Hotel will begin some work there tomorrow, Wednesday.

Though Mr. Barduio could not disclose the actual amount of the package, he described it as being "very attractive", hoping that the people would take advantage of it.

The Process of selecting a contractor within the next ten days is on course and construction work at the hotel is expected to begin at the end of the August.

Addressing a press conference last Thursday, Deputy Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah indicated that the construction of the Ducor Continental Hotel by the Libyan Government will continue and warned illegal occupants of the area to leave.

He said the land there "belongs to the Government of Liberia" and no body else.

He said for the past two years government has been discussing with squatters and illegal occupants to vacate the area, with packages offered them, but they have refused to leave.

The government has been sympathetic with the people and has been engaging them diplomatically, but they will have to leave and the project will go on, Minister Piah asserted.

However residents of the area have protested that the land in the vicinity of the ruined hotel belongs to them and they will not leave.

Prior to the civil conflict, when the hotel was functioning, they were living there, the citizens have argued.

A spokesman said they were not told to leave the area during those days and were surprised that this government is demanding them to abandon what legally belongs to them.

They have vowed to challenge the government in court.

Lands and Mines Minister Eugene Shannon, who also formed part of the press conference, said those claiming to be legitimate owners of the land do not have deeds to substantiate their claims.

He said if they say they own the land, they must provide deeds otherwise they have to vacate the place.

"Let them bring their deeds. You can be the owners of a land and you can't produce a deed for it," the Lands and Mines Minister argued.