Taylor and ECOWAS Meeting postponed

From: Patrick A. Firempong, GNA Special Correspondent, Monrovia

Monrovia, Aug.1, GNA - The scheduled meeting between Liberian President Charles Taylor and a four-man ECOWAS delegation in Monrovia was postponed to Saturday following renewed fighting in some parts of Liberia during the early hours of Friday.

Fighting was reported in Buchanan the second largest city, Gbarnga, President Taylor's stronghold and Monrovia around the two main bridges to the capital - Gabriel and Tucker bridges.

Ghana's Foreign Minister, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, led the delegation that comprised Senator Lawan Gana Guba, Minister of Co-operation and Integration in Africa from Nigeria; General Assani Tidjani, Togolese Minister of Defence and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS.

They had to stay in the VIP lounge at the Robertsfield International Airport in Monrovia for about three hours before they had information that President Taylor had left the Executive Mansion for the war front in Buchanan and could only meet them on Saturday.

Nana Akufo-Addo told newsmen that the destiny of Liberia, the West African Sub-Region, peace and protection of Liberians were very important; therefore, the delegation would wait to meet President Taylor.

He said" President Taylor is not at the Executive Mansion to meet us but at the war front, we should have the opportunity to discuss issues with him face to face.

"We are prepared to do whatever is necessary to meet him", he emphasised.

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the end of a day's extraordinary Summit in Accra on Thursday formally ordered the deployment into Liberia of the ECOWAS Vanguard Interposition Force by Monday, August 4.

It also called on Ghana, Mali, Benin and Togo to ensure an early deployment of the additional troops within three weeks of the deployment of the 1,500 Nigerian troops.

The Authority decided to dispatch to Monrovia a four-man delegation to inform President Taylor about the outcome of the Summit and to make arrangements for his handover of power and departure from Liberia. In another development, Mr Kwame Owusu Yeboah, a Ghanaian Carpenter based in Monrovia looking dejected made a passionate appeal to the government for assistance to evacuate more than 3,000 Ghanaians, who were stranded, back home. Unconfirmed reports say there was shortage of food and water in Monrovia and people depended mostly on cassava and that food imported into the port of Monrovia had been taken over by the rebels.