Liberian Peace Talks to resume in Accra

Accra, Aug.4 GNA - ECOWAS Mediators at the Liberian Peace Talks would resume closed-door negotiations in Accra on Tuesday with the hope of clinching a comprehensive peace deal for the war-ravaged West African country.

High on the agenda would be the composition of an interim government, an issue that had dragged on since July 17 due to major differences among the stakeholders.

A source at the ECOWAS Secretariat told the Ghana News Agency on Monday that the facilitator at the Talks, former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar is out of town.

"We are expecting him by Tuesday for the resumption of business that was overshadowed by two weeks of intensive fighting, especially over the control of the capital, Monrovia by the three belligerent groups," he said.

Lack of clarity about President Charles Taylor's commitment to international pressure to go into exile when he steps aside might complicate issues, the source noted.

"Patience is running out and the world expects to hear a positive news from ECOWAS by the close of the week...let us wait and see." President Taylor, who met ECOWAS Foreign Ministers on Saturday in Liberia, fell short of making a categorical statement over demands by the Sub-Regional body for him to step down within three days of the arrival of the Nigerian Peacekeeping Force and go into exile in Nigeria.

The Executive-Secretary of ECOWAS, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas and Foreign Ministers from Ghana, Nigeria and Togo flew to Monrovia on Friday and had to wait for 24 hours before meeting President Taylor at the Executive Mansion.

ECOWAS sources said in Accra that the President's insistence that he would go into exile only if the indictment slapped on him by the UN War Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone was lifted might complicate matters at the Peace Talks.

"There have been too many compromises chalked by ECOWAS leading to the signing of a fragile Ceasefire Agreement between the three belligerent groups - The Liberian government, and the two rebel groups - Liberians United for Reconciliation and Development (LURD) and Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) on June 17.

"The airlifting of a Nigerian Battalion from Sierra Leone to Monrovia is an indication that the Ceasefire Agreement will hold this week.

"What is still evasive is the Comprehensive Peace Plan that should have been signed 30 days after the three warring parties decided to cease fire for the naming of an interim administration for Liberia minus President Taylor."

ECOWAS had committed itself to the provision of 3,200 Intervention Force, with troops from Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Benin and Togo. Stakeholders at the Peace Talks including the three warring factions, 18 political parties and civil society groups have remained inconclusive over the hierarchy of an interim government for their country founded by free American Slaves in 1847 which now has a population of three and half million people.