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Africa: West
Liberian foes choose leader
2003-08-21
Government and rebel delegates have selected a businessman, Gyude Bryant, to head Liberia’s interim post-war administration. His appointment was formally announced on Thursday in Ghana, where peace talks have been taking place for more than two months. "I see myself as a healer," said Mr Bryant after being chosen ahead of two other candidates. Interim President Moses Blah is due to stand down in October in favour of the new administration, which is supposed to organise elections in 2005.
"due to stand down" and "supposed to organise elections" are the key phrases here.
Mr Bryant, chairman of the Liberia Action Party, is a leading figure in the Episcopal Church, one of Liberia’s main religious denominations, and is not seen as a political heavyweight. The BBC’s Jonathan Paye-Layleh in the capital, Monrovia, says that Liberians are surprised by his appointment. His deputy, Wesley Johnson, is an accounting lecturer.
When you need to rebuild a shattered economy, you could do worse than appointing a businessman and a accountant.
It sounds like they compromised on the most innocuous fellow they could find with an accounting lec... lect... ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Whuh? Oh. An accounting lecturer to write his speeches...
Under the power-sharing agreement, neither Liberia’s new leader nor the vice-chairman could come from either of the armed factions.
Since he doesn’t have his own private army, it’ll make it easier to overthrow him when the world’s attention has shifted to the next crisis.
A contingent of Ghanaian troops is due to leave for Liberia later on Thursday to join some 900 Nigerian peacekeepers already deployed. The Nigerian and Ghanaian soldiers are to be joined by troops from Senegal and Mali later in the week. Eventually the West African force will number more than 3,000 troops. However, there has been fighting in Bong County, 100 kilometres (62 miles) north-east of Monrovia, despite the ceasefire agreement.
It is a African ceasefire after all.
Like, wow, man! Like Bong County!
Aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warns that the frontline is now just 45km (28 miles) from camps where some 60,000 people have sought refuge. "If the fighting gets closer, we fear a mass displacement of civilians," said MSF head of mission in Liberia Pierre Mendiharat.
Why bother, the fighting will just follow you.
Posted by:Steve

#3  TU - you're on a roll, man lol
Posted by: Frank G   2003-8-21 9:58:06 PM  

#2  However, there has been fighting in Bong County...

Like...wow...man(cough, cough, cough)

Posted by: tu3031   2003-8-21 2:24:59 PM  

#1  Now all we need to do is send over Jesse Jackson. Then again, he'll just seize power and proclaim himself the ' President of the Lord '.
Posted by: Charles   2003-8-21 10:21:49 AM  

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