Liberia Denies Fanning Sub-regional WarLiberian President Charles Taylor Friday denied the allegation that Liberia made the sub-region of Mano River Union, which includes Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, slump into a lingering war, according to reports reaching here from the country's capital Monrovia.It would be foolish to accuse Liberia of accuse him of fomenting war in the sub-region and be a "misconception, if not foolish, for anyone to think that peace will be restored to the west African sub-region once Charles Taylor is removed," the Liberian president was quoted as saying. Taylor disclosed that for peace talks to resolve the refugee crisis in Guinea, he has planned to go to the Nigerian capital Abuja, where a special meeting of the Economic Community of West African States, the sub-regional body, is due to be held on April 11. Earlier last month, however, Taylor canceled a visit to a similar meeting, which was hosted by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, without giving any explanation. Meanwhile, the Liberian leader accused neighboring Guinea of supporting the rebels to attack the Liberian government forces, confirming a rebel attack on Liberia's border towns of Foya and Kolahun in the northern areas by "dissident" forces while he was in a trip abroad recently. The three members of the Mano River Union, which is intended to promote cooperation and economic development, have been increasingly on a conflict course since early this year. Sierra Leone and Guinea have been blaming Liberia for supporting the two countries' rebels, while Liberia, on the contrary, also accused the two neighboring countries of harboring its dissidents. |
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