Douglas Farngalo
31 March 2008
Birmingham, UK — The Liberian leader will be sailing the humid African skies towards the British Aisles once again despite criticisms at home that she spends most of her tenure making foreign trips abroad.
This time, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first democratically elected female president in Africa, will be the guest of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
According to a letter addressed to the leaders of the Liberian Community in Britain, the Liberian Ambassador accredited to the Court of St. James, Wesley Johnson said the President happily accepted an invitation from the British Prime Minister to attend the Progressive Governance Leaders Summit in London scheduled to be held from the 4th of April through the 5th 2008.
The disclosure came as leaders of the Liberian community are preparing to attend a meeting geared towards preparations for the upcoming Independence Day Celebrations of Liberia in the month of July. The letter did not elaborate further into the agenda of the Summit.
The letter, however, states that Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf will meet with the Liberian Community at the Liberian Embassy at 3:00 pm on the 4th of April.
Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf will be among several Heads of State expected to attend the Progressive Governance Leaders Summit in London. This will be the second of such a high-level visit to Britain by a President in less than a week.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife recently paid a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom as guest of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the British government.
The French President was honoured with accommodations at Buckingham Palace and attended two separate state banquets hosted by Her Majesty the Queen and the Lord Mayor of London. Such an elaborate reception, like the one given the Sarkozys, cannot be ruled out.
President Sirleaf is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the 7th of April and is scheduled to address the Women's Health Conference in London.
The last Progressive Governance Leadership Conference was held in 2003 and hosted by former Prime Minister Tony Blair with fourteen Heads of State or government from Europe, Latin America and Africa represented.
The British Foreign Ministry Press Release in that year said: "The summit was an important meeting of countries sharing similar philosophies - building on international priorities, domestic issues, trade and industry".
The Liberian leader's attendance at the summit is seen by observers as recognition of the relentless efforts by the government of President Sirleaf to steer Liberia towards economic recovery and reconstruction after a catastrophic war.
Early last year, the US t announced plans to write off some $391 million in debts incurred by Liberia's previous undemocratic regimes during the Liberia Partners Forum 2007 held at the World Bank's headquarters in Washington DC.
Some U.S. lawmakers, non-governmental organizations and the World Bank supported calls for other major creditors to follow suit.
Former Chancellor Gordon Brown, in seeking to put fresh impetus behind debt relief for the world's poorest countries, last year in Davos, Switzerland, also pressed Britain's G8 partners to back the write-off of Liberia's debt. Liberia's total external debts are estimated at US$3.7 billion.
The government of Liberia recently signed a 1 billion- dollar contract with British based Mittal Steel Mining Company for the exploration of Iron Ore in Liberia. This deal is expected to create thousands of jobs for Liberians in the rural provinces of Grand Bassa and Nimba.
Amidst the criticisms, many Liberians seem to be satisfied with the ongoing structural and economic developments taking place in their Country.
The visit would therefore be seen as the further manifestation of the government efforts to encourage Liberia's trading partners to invest in the country's economy and the unflinching desire of the Johnson-Sirleaf's administration to lobby for donor assistance towards post-war reconstruction.
This is Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf's second visit to Britain since her election in 2006 and according to the letter of invitation, the embassy is therefore urging all Liberians residing in the UK to be in attendance at the meeting with Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf and be on time.
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