Photo: allAfrica.com

George Weah.

Liberia's effort at reconciliation has been a long drawn-out one since the country painfully attained peace ten years ago through the brutally unfair Accra Peace Agreement that sought to pacify the warlords as a means of give and take to bring what was becoming a notorious war that seemed to have no end.

Since 1990 when the country first tasted bloodshed at the hands of its own people leaving its economy, infrastructure and people in tatters with a cold 250,000 given to death many of whom had no graves among them women and children bearing the brunt of it all.

The recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) enacted by an act of Legislature in May of 2005 under the Transitional Government crumbled after it submitted its final report to the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf which has failed to implement the findings.

In its Final Report, issued June 2009, the TRC included Sirleaf in a list of 49 names of people that should be "specifically barred from holding public offices; elected or appointed for a period of thirty (30) years" for "being associated with former warring factions."

Since then the TRC report has been only good for the dustbin as the government in partnership with the United Nations PeaceBuilding office has come up with its own roadmap for what it believes is attaining genuine peace.

"Aligned with Vision 2030 and elaborated in six 3-year programme cycles, the Roadmap is a comprehensive framework that identifies the critical components for genuine reconciliation in Liberia and the platform to coordinate the multiple stakeholders and their respective initiatives for the next 18 years," states the government's reconciliation roadmap.

To steer the ship leading to the attainment of what the Sirleaf-led administration set out to do in the next 18years, the President early this year appointed soccer legend and her former political opponent George Weah to serve as Peace Ambassador after the first person appointed to head the initiative Co-Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee who shared the peace prize with Sirleaf in 2011, resigned the post in 2012.

Weah is not promising to deliver this long sought after peace but has promised to use his portfolio as Peace Ambassador to create activities that will lead to genuine stability for Liberia.

"Without peace civilization will not exist, with peace, there is stability, there is growth; peace is an ongoing thing it is important for our generation and the generations to come. My part as a Liberian, is to promote peace through football," said the standard Bearer of the opposition Congress for democratic Change (CDC) when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.

To prove his sincerity he brings to the table as he strives to deliver this effort of peace, the soccer legend has brought together the best names in African football including the Cameroonian Striker Roger Miller, the first African to showcase his talents on the world stage before the likes of Weah.

"So I went around the world; because peace cannot be achieved alone; I cannot do it alone. To maintain peace in Liberia, we as Liberians must promote it; so I went away to bring the world's stars together to come to Liberia," said Weah.

"Most of these guys came here through national teams, but to be here alone, I think it is a great occasion for the Liberian people and the young people that aspire for a better life and a better future."

Bringing glory home

Weah himself acknowledges the huge task of reconciliation that has been given him but he believes that it is not a burden he can carry alone. The soccer legend stressed that it will require the effort of all Liberians to make this journey to stability work. Weah could give no better gift to the people of Liberia than the Ballon D'or or Golden Ball Africa's first given to him in 1995 making him the only African to win it.

"As you are aware, couple of months ago, I was named peace Ambassador of the Republic of Liberia and I had a job reference and my job reference was to promote peace through the national roadmap of peace and reconciliation and to create events toward peace, stability and reconciliation for our country," said Weah.

"I thought the better way to jumpstart my part of creating events was to bring Africa's first Ballon D'or to Liberia as a symbol of peace in our country to bring people together," said Weah.

Graduating on peace terms

To transition the country from war to peace necessarily requires rebuilding from scratch according to Information Minister Lewis Brown. Reading a special statement from the government on the reconciliation roadmap the minister spelled out the government's efforts at peace.

"Close to thirty years of conflict sheds its consequence on a nation; and worse still, dulls the enthusiasm of a people," said Minister Brown.

"A new leadership must therefore deal equally with the hard issues of infrastructure as it must the soft issues which drove the conflict as well as the associated traumas, grieves, losses, pains, suspicions, and hatreds which flow naturally out of wars."

The Sirleaf-led government believes that Liberia's transformation from war to peace means the transformation of the entire society from the discredited model of exclusionary and unaccountable governance to a new model of inclusion, openness and accountability according to Minister Brown.

"It means reaching beyond differences in gender, tribe, age, religion and associations and building enduring partnerships of trust and mutual respect," he said on Wednesday.

"It means giving continued deference to traditions and customs while lifting the veil on taboos that infringed on individual rights. It means spreading the virtue of freedoms - freedom of speech and of worship - and ensuring the protection of all other rights and liberties to which all are entitled."

Weah's formula

Weah promises to use sports in his effort to unite the country, jumpstarting it with a soccer match featuring Africa's best including Miller, Samuel Eto'o, Dedier Drogba, Kolo Toure and others alongside a musical concert featuring Liberian musical artists.

"Even though we are all from different aspect of our political life, but it is one Mama Liberia that we must promote and make sure that she's stable," said Weah.

"This is a unification game to bring all of the players and the actors together; all of the people that are involved, the house of Legislative, the Liberian government and civil society groups and everybody are aware."

Weah's famous career

Born October 1, 1966, Weah's career spans as an accomplished footballer, humanitarian and politician, running unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Sirleaf in the second round of voting and in 2011 election for vice president on a ticket headed by Ambassador Winston Tubman.

Weah moved to Europe in 1988 when he was signed by Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who happened to be the manager of Monaco and the soccer legend credits Wenger as an important influence on his career.

At Monaco, Weah was a member of the team that won the French Cup in 1991. In the 1990s he subsequently played for Paris Saint Germain (1992-95), winning the French league in 1994 and becoming the top scorer of the UEFA Champions League 1994-95; and AC Milan (1995-1999), with whom he won the Italian league in 1996 and 1999.

Weah also became famous at Milan for scoring a wonder goal against Verona at theSan Siro. After leaving Milan in January 2000 Weah moved to Chelsea, Manchester City and Olympique Marseille in quick succession, before leaving Marseille in May 2001 for Al Jazira FC, in the United Arab Emirates, where he remained until his retirement as a player in 2003.

The soccer legend spent 14 years of his professional football career playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England, and won trophies in each of these three countries.

In 1995, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year.

As successful as Weah was at club level, he as destiny would dictate was not able to bring over the success to the Liberian national team.

He has done everything with the squad from playing to coaching to financing it, but failed to qualify for a single World Cup, falling just a point short in qualifying for the 2002 tournament when the team lost to the Black Stars of Ghana an opportunity that has not showed its face to Liberia since then.

Weah was voted the African Player of the Century by sport journalists from all around the world. Pelé won the same award as the South American Player of the Century and Johan Cruijff as the European Player of the Century.