Liberia Government (Monrovia)
12 January 2009
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has commended the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for engaging the ruling CNDD military junta in Guinea, while rejecting the coup d'etat which brought them to power. She has also expressed the pleasure that the two-year limit put forward by the military junta as the period for returning the country to constitutional rule is working towards being reduced.
The Liberian leader spoke during the closed session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government's Extraordinary Summit held today in Abuja, Nigeria. The Summit was convened to examine the latest developments in Guinea, following the death of General Lansana Conte, considering in particular the military takeover of government.
The President said Liberia is aware of the danger that will arise if the Guinean issue is not properly addressed, stressing that ECOWAS needs to act so as to not revert to sub-regional war. She said the placement of political sanctions on Guinea thereby barring the West African nation from attending all ECOWAS Heads of States and ministerial meetings is in the right direction. She called for care to be taken before economic sanctions on Guinea are put in place, saying it could further worsen the situation and called on ECOWAS to work with the international community to support Guinea to organize free and fair elections. The President finally disagreed with the ECOWAS Council of Ministers' call for the international community to be encouraged to place general sanctions on Guinea noting that such an action would be detrimental in the long run.
Both Ghanaian President John Atta Mills and newly appointed Guinean Prime Minister Kabine Comara made their first appearances at the ECOWAS Summit. Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe read a special congratulatory message to President Mills for winning the recent elections in Ghana on behalf of other ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and entourage have concluded their visit to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and have returned to Liberia.
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