Liberian President Moses Blah returned home from the Ghanaian capital, Accra, late Saturday after the signing of Liberia's comprehensive peace agreement was postponed due to "serious disagreements" over power-sharing roles in the proposed two-year transitional government. The West African regional body, ECOWAS, who has been facilitating the two-month old peace talks, announced that it would not be able to clinch a final peace settlement on Saturday as was earlier stated. "Today's signing ceremony is out of the question," a source from ECOWAS, [Economic Community of West African States] told IRIN in the Ghanaian capital. "Both the Liberians United For Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement For Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) rebel groups have asked for more time to review the draft agreement," he said. "Perhaps, we might sign on Monday," the source added.
| "Yeah. We'll get around to it. Foist we gotta have our mout'piece look it over..." |
The rebels were still insisting on getting the top posts, including the Vice Presidency and Speaker. "A section of LURD rebels reiterated this demand on Friday despite their leader, Sekou Damate Konneh, having softened the group's stand on this subject," a diplomatic source told IRIN. "This group got the backing of MODEL rebels," the source said, noting however that "this had brought back everything to square one." Heads of ECOWAS countries maintained that none of the warring parties should take the top positions such as the Vice Presidency and Speaker in the interim government. |