Washington, DC — A ban on all public gatherings issued by Liberias minister of justice late Friday has put into question a scheduled return this weekend by opposition leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the capital, Monrovia.
The possible postponement comes at a time of rising tension and heightened pressure on the government of Charles Taylor, who has been accused of human rights violations at home and support for rebels in neighboring states. On Wednesday, one of the countrys best-known human rights lawyers suffered a severe beating while in police custody. Thursday, the government announced a "permanent" ban of the independent newspaper, The Analyst.
Sirleaf, who placed second to Taylor in a 1997 election marred by allegations of voter intimidation, is slated to fly to Monrovia on Saturday from Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, which borders Liberia on the east. Sirleaf is based there as the manager of an equity investment fund
"I will go home," Sirleaf said in a telephone interview from her Abidjan office. "I may not go tomorrow as I dont want to evoke an overreaction that might cause anybody to get hurt, but I will go quite soon."
Sirleaf said it was not clear whether the ministers action was timed for her visit or is part of a broader crackdown that includes a state of emergency. "Everyone knew I was coming home," she said. Local media have reported on her planned arrival, and numbers of the party faithful were planning to line streets to welcome her back, she said.
Sirleaf is a former Liberian minister of finance and a former head of the Africa region at the United Nations Development Programme. She currently serves on a number of commissions and panels, including the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, the International Crisis Group and the International Institute for Womens Political Leadership.
She said she intends to use her time in Liberia to help strengthen the Unity Party, which she leads. "We need to accelerate our membership drive, which was launched in January, and make preparations for our convention in August," she said.
