Liberian President consoles the Rawlingses

Accra, 21 Feb., GNA - Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Saturday consoled former President Jerry John Rawlings and the family on the disaster which razed down his residence, destroying property and vital documents.

The Liberian President, accompanied by Liberian Ministers of State a= nd the Liberian Ambassador to Ghana, consoled the former Ghanaian leader, at=

his Ridge residence on Saturday.

President Sirleaf told Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, wife of former=

President Rawlings that she was shocked at the level of destruction and s= aid she thought that it was just part of the residence that got burnt. Nana Konadu recounted the detection of the fire at dawn last Sunday and how she escaped with Yaa Asantewaa, her daughter.

President Sirleaf stated in the visitors=B9 book that all Liberians sympathised with the Rawlingses over the loss saying that the former firs= t couple had been instrumental in assisting Liberia to recover from years o= f civil war. Former President Rawlings was away in Vume-Tefle, Volta Region at th= e time of the Liberian President=B9s visit.

It would be recalled that when the Liberian civil war went out of control, former President Rawlings and other Heads of State of the Econom= ic Community of West African States established the ECOMOG force to enforce and keep peace in Liberia. Ghana also played host to fleeing Liberian refugees during the Rawlin= gs regime.