A peace deal signed by Liberia's government and rebel factions offered new hope to the broken West African country yesterday of an end to nearly 14 years of savage bloodshed.
The deal in Ghana between President Moses Blah's government and rebels holding more than three-quarters of the country came a week after pariah leader Charles Taylor flew into exile.
PHOTO: AP
Under the deal, Blah will step down in October for a chairman of an interim government to guide Liberia to elections by 2005. The chairman, who will not come from any of the warring factions, is expected to be picked this week.
The rebels, Blah's government, opposition parties and civil-society groups will share jobs in the Cabinet and parliament.
It came as welcome relief on the streets of Monrovia, where about 2,000 people died in the most recent spell of blood-letting before the deployment of West African peacekeepers, backed by US Marines.
"This country has not been in peace since as long as I can remember," said 38-year old Sanfo Massaquoi, putting his arm protectively around his eight-year-old daughter. "I hope there is going to be peace, so I can find a job and make a living."
At the UN, Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the signing of the peace agreement.
His spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement that Annan "calls on all concerned to seize this opportunity to work together to restore peace and stability in the country" and urged international support for Liberia.
Liberians have known little but strife since Taylor launched a war to end dictatorship in 1989. After some 200,000 deaths, he won 1997 elections, but his former foes barely waited before starting a new insurrection.
Meanwhile, chaos spread to neighboring Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast amid fears it could destroy the entire region.
"Liberians must now allow the love of country to override the love of power," Ghana's President John Kufuor admonished Liberia's political leaders after the signing ceremony on Monday.
"You should return to Liberia and treat your country like a cherished but sick baby that should be cared for with love," he said.
The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy rebel faction and a smaller group known as Model have said their war is over and they would bee prepared to disarm once a capable international force was in place.
But the government accused rebels of attacking outside Monrovia right up to the signing of the agreement, and Liberians are still wary of declaring peace prematurely.
About 1,500 Nigerian troops are already deployed, but the number of West African peacekeepers should double. The current force is eventually meant to become a UN peacekeeping mission.
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