ECOWAS is concerned to secure peace in Liberia - Kufuor

Accra, July 11, GNA- President John Agyekum Kufuor, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Friday said the immediate concern of ECOWAS was to secure peace for the people of Liberia and ceasefire among the factions in the conflict. He said it was ECOWAS that took the initiative to get President Charles Taylor to agree to leave the country to facilitate the maintenance of peace during the transitional period until the next elections in October 2005.

In an interview with newsmen in Maputo, President Kufuor said the initial troops of about 1,000 to 1,500 from four ECOWAS States of Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal were expected to be in Liberia within two weeks.

He said out of the estimated 5,000 troops, ECOWAS would provide 3,000 and the United Nations (UN), US and some other African countries, including Morocco, Ethiopia and South Africa would provide the rest.

In an answer to a question, President Kufuor said the initiative by ECOWAS was not a coup d'etat against President Taylor, who is still the legitimate Head of State if Liberia and had pledged to leave the country immediately the force was put in place.

On the indictment of President Taylor by the UN Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone, President Kufuor said it was a different issue from an international body outside of the jurisdiction of ECOWAS and the body could decide on the matter anytime.

The ECOWAS Chairman said security in Africa was a problem and the Continent being a troubled area, there was the need to assemble a force to deal with conflicts anytime they occurred. On the situation in Cote d'Ivoire, President Kufuor said the transitional government under Prime Minister Seydou Diarra was making headway and the rebel grouping being disarmed was a major significant breakthrough in the search for peace among the factions in the conflict.

"Everything in Cote D'Ivoire is on course and the West African Sub-Region is gradually being pushed out of the situation of conflicts", he said