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Liberian Govt. Agrees to Return of Guinea, S. Leone Ambassadors
Liberian President Charles Taylor Wednesday agreed to revoke his decision to expel the ambassadors of Guinea and Sierra Leone from Liberia.
After a one-day extraordinary regional security summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held in Nigerian capital Abuja, Taylor acceded to the regional leaders' request, which appealed to the Liberian government to recant the expulsion order.
The conference called in a communique on the Mano River Union countries, namely Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, to establish good neighborliness relations, and "bear in mind the interests of their countries and the historical links that bind their people".
The communique called on the three countries to hold regular meetings at ministerial level to resolve disputes, stressing that they should take necessary measures to stop armed attacks being launched from their territories against their neighbors and to open their borders without delay.
The one-day ECOWAS summit, which focused on the continuing tensions around the border of the three countries as well as the buildup of armed groups in the area, has ended in the absence of Guinean President Lansana Conte.
Conte and his Sierra Leone counterpart Ahamd Tejan Kabbah Tuesday announced that they will boycott the summit, saying that regional leaders have so far not taken firm enough action against Liberian President Charles Taylor, whom they accused of fomenting war in the sub-region.
But Kabbah changed his mind after a phone call from Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and arrived shortly after most other heads of states who attended the summit had left the meeting hall.
Earlier this month, the Liberian government has ordered the ambassadors of neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone to leave the country within seven days, saying that each of them "persona non grata for acts incompatible with his diplomatic status".
The three members of the Mano River Union, which is intended to promote cooperation and economic development, have been increasing conflict on the countries' common borders since early this year.
Sierra Leone and Guinea blamed that Liberia is supporting Sierra Leone rebels as well as armed rebel groups in Guinea. However, Liberia, in turn, accused the two neighboring countries of harboring dissidents in a bid to overturn the government.
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