|
BBC - Liberia âwar is overâ
EFLLiberiaâs new leader, Gyude Bryant, has promised a fresh start and an end to 14 years of conflict. "My people, the war is over," he said after taking the oath of office while holding the Bible. Doesnât he mean that major combat operions have ceased? Or does he mean that we hit the rim so the shot clock is reset? The ceremony was attended by West African leaders, heavily guarded rebels and government officials. Nothing like some heavily guarded dignataries. Who is being guarded from whom? I thought we were all friends now. "If thereâs no peace in Liberia, thereâs no peace in West Africa," said President Olusegun ("Ollie") Obasanjo of Nigeria (prophectically), which has contributed the bulk of the 4,000 peacekeeping troops in Liberia. Mr Bryantâs inauguration speech was met with cheers and standing ovations as he promised to tackle corruption and injustice. The BBCâs Paul Welsh in the capital, Monrovia, says it was an accomplished performance from a relatively unknown businessman who had never been asked to make a speech like this before. Our correspondent says the new government faces big challenges.
I canât even get the TV remote from my kids and theyâre not armed. In a reminder of the devastation wrought by the fighting, the guests at the inauguration ceremony were sitting on plastic chairs because the parliament building had recently been looted. And the sombre ceremony was punctuated by the sound of these chairs breaking and people falling to the floor. There has got to be video of that. Deposed President Charles Taylor, now in exile in Nigeria, pledged his support for the peace process on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony. His wife, Jewel, travelled from Nigeria to attend the ceremony. Did she bring some of the chairs back?... And then reality sets in. Thousands died in three battles for the capital this year and almost half the population has been forced from their homes. Many thousands remain destitute after fleeing to Monrovia. "We are expecting the Bryant government to come to our aid because we do not have drinking water," said a resident of the Buzzy Quarter slum. Posted by: Super Hose 2003-10-15 |
|
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=19911 |