Economic Community of West African States, Executive Secretary Mohamed Ibn Chambas, right, gives his opening address at beginning of the summit of heads of state of ECOWAS regarding the Liberian crisis held in Accra, Ghana Thursday, July 31, 2003. West African leaders committed Thursday to have the first peace troops in warring Liberia by the start of next week.

The Nigerian commander of a planned West African peacekeeping force for Liberia (news - web sites), General Festus Okonkwo(L) greets Ghana's Foreign Minister Nana Akufo Addo at the international airport of Monrovia August 1, 2003. The U.N. Security Council authorized on Friday a multinational force to intervene in Liberia for the purpose of implementing a cease-fire that would end the country's bloody civil war.