West Africa: Ghana's President Expects Taylor to Quit Liberia 'in a Week or So'

Maputo, Mozambique — "We welcome American troops, Ecowas troops as well as UN troops. All in line with peace." The words of Liberias Information Minister, Reginald Goodridge, speaking on Tuesday. His boss, beleaguered Liberian President Charles Taylor, has said he will leave office, once a multinational peacekeeping force is in place in his country.

Washington - still deciding what contribution to make to the peacekeeping efforts in Liberia - has said Taylor must go before the United States can consider sending troops. But that established, President Bush has confirmed that he is open to providing some kind of support although any deployment would be limited in both size and duration.

The United States is under strong international pressure to intervene in the conflict in Liberia, with which Washington has longstanding historical ties, dating back to the founding of the republic by freed American slaves in the 19th century.

Both Taylor's government and the rebels have welcomed Washington's agreement to get involved.

While America decides on its next move regarding Liberia, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) is continuing to mediate in peace talks in Ghana between the rival Liberian factions. Ecowas is also planning to send a peacekeeping force to Liberia, with advance troops due in the country shortly.

Regional military chiefs are scheduled to meet in Senegal on Sunday, to discuss the logistics for deploying the peacekeepers. Bush told UN secretary general Kofi Annan on Monday that he was awaiting a final assessment from U.S. teams in West Africa before he made a final decision.

At the just-ended African Union summit in Maputo, Mozambique, the current chairman of Ecowas, Ghanas President John Agyekum Kufuor, spoke to journalists about the progress being made towards ending the crisis in Liberia. Kufuor took questions from Nick Kotch of Reuters, Ghana Television and AllAfricas Ofeibea Quist-Arcton.

President Kufuor, could you please give us an update on the situation regarding Liberia? Nigeria's President Obasanjo said at the AU summit that an initial Ecowas force of between 1,000 and 1,500 could quickly be sent to Liberia. He said he understood that the United States would also take part in a force.

As you know, President Taylor has given a condition for him to leave office. The condition is that there should be a force sent to Liberia to ensure that when he vacates, the Executive Mansion will not be taken over. The idea is for him to hand over to somebody of his choice from his government. To facilitate that, Ecowas has decided that a force of about 1,000 to 1,500, as the president of Nigeria said, should be moved in within perhaps a week, by next weekend or within two weeks.

This force would be made up of Nigeria, Ghana, Mali and perhaps Senegal. Thats the immediate force of about 1,000 to 1,500, so that President Taylor could then hand over to his successor and move out.

This is necessary to ensure that the ceasefire will continue in Liberia and would also facilitate the peace talks to continue. It is through the peace talks that we would arrange the transitional government. So this is the immediate arrangement.

But it is estimated that altogether, and in due course, we would need a force of about 5,000 to more or less guarantee the transitional arrangements until such time as the elections would take place - hopefully by October next year in Liberia.

And its there that the Liberians themselves are asking the US to be present and the force of 5,000 we estimate would be made up of about 3,000 from Ecowas. The remainder might come in the form of, say, United Nations forces, U.S. and perhaps some other African countries outside Ecowas like South Africa, like Morocco, like Ethiopia. So this is the arrangement so far.

What about the funding for the force? Has Ecowas got the money? The regional chiefs of staff were talking about a figure of US$100m. Can Ecowas lay its hands on $100m?

Ecowas is doing the best it can. Meanwhile the United Nations has agreed to come in and the United States too is thinking of joining in. Here in Maputo, Ive been addressing the African Union to see what it can contribute. So, we are hopeful that we will succeed.

We may even go further afield to talk to friends of Africa to see what they can do for us.

It seems that President Taylor is setting quite a few conditions for a man in his position; saying who should be taking over from him, for instance. Is that acceptable to you as the Ecowas chairman?

The point is, what is happening is not a coup detat. President Taylor is legitimate, hes a constitutional president and Ecowas wont be drawn into recognising anything like a coup detat. So I believe President Taylor is right to determine who, within his government, should succeed him.

But is Charles Taylor in a position to dictate the terms of an interim government and the transition?

He is not dictating the terms of the transition. He is only telling us how he would leave the post, for him to go into exile or asylum or whatever you want to call it. All he is saying is that he is willing to go. He has said "bring the force in to ensure that there wont be chaos when I move out. By then I will give you my successor, the person Im handing over to, so that I can go and the peace talks will continue."

How soon do you envisage the departure of Charles Taylor from Liberia?

As soon as Ecowas puts in the initial force of 1,000-1,500 people. We hope that in a week or so we will be able to send this force.

What kind of transitional government will be formed after President Taylor stands aside?

I repeat that President Taylors government is constitutional and Ecowas would not underwrite a coup detat. All that is happening is that President Taylor is stepping out of his government and handing over to a successor within his government immediately.

But then, Ecowas - and I believe everybody concerned with Liberia - agrees that there will have to be a transitional government to prepare the country for the election which might take place, hopefully, by the end of next year, after the term of office of the government which may not include President Taylor.

Did President Taylor ask for any guarantees before leaving power?

If you put it that way, I say no. But he was suggesting that he wouldnt want to leave a vacuum when he goes. This is why he suggested that Ecowas should bring in a force, to secure the place, even as he goes, for the peace talks to continue.

Theres a continuing debate in Africa, renewed by the genocide in Rwanda, about the whole issue of impunity. That issue does raise its head again in the case of Charles Taylor. He is under an international arrest warrant from the Special Court in Sierra Leone. So how do you explain the decision that Ecowas has reached?

I know there are many priorities. But Ecowas deems the topmost one, immediately, is to guarantee the ceasefire, so that the ordinary people who are, after all, the victims, will be given a breather. To achieve that, we have to ensure that President Taylor moves off the scene quickly.

As to the impunity principle, its a sort of eternal principle. After all, how long did it take for the war criminals of World War II to get arrested and prosecuted? Eichmann and others. So, if its found that anybody committed genocide any time, Im sure that the international legal system could come into operation against such a person.

So have you agreed to consider impunity for Charles Taylor who is wanted for war crimes at the Sierra Leone Special Court, across the border from Liberia?

No way, no way, no way. The Special Court Prosecutor has got his role to play. Ecowas has another role to play. I believe we do not cancel each other out. No.

So will Charles Taylor be tried at the Special Court?

That is not the function of Ecowas. That is not the function of Ecowas - chasing him out. That is not the function of Ecowas. Ecowas is there to secure the ground for peace in Liberia.

Are you saying that once Mr Taylor steps down, and perhaps goes into exile, he will not get off scot free and might, at least, have to answer to the Special Court in Sierra Leone?

I am not saying anything like that. Im just saying that the possibilities of an offender against humanity being brought to book are always there and its not something that rots. Do you get me? I gave you the example of Eichmann. I think he was grabbed, is it 20 or 30 years after the second world war? So if anybody has committed such an offence against humanity, the system could be activated as and whenever the Special Court or prosecutor comes by his evidence to move.

But, with Ecowas, our immediate concern is to secure peace in Liberia, so that the people there can go about their normal lives.

I ask that question because, of course, President Taylor was in Ghana attending Ecowas-sponsored Liberia peace talks in June when the news of the Special Court arrest warrant was announced. And I believe Mr Taylor left Accra aboard an official Ghanaian aircraft -

- And this nearly torpedoed the efforts we were trying to make to immediately arrest the worsening situation in Liberia.

So were you annoyed by the Special Court prosecutor David Cranes action?

We werent annoyed. He was doing his business, but we thought our business too had been undermined. Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

There is talk of needing to push ahead with the African Unions Peace and Security Council and also with a standby rapid intervention force for Africa. What is Ghanas view on that?

Security is a very broad concept. Defence is specific. So there is some point in those who argue that we should not mix the two. Africa is a troubled continent. We have an urgent need to assemble forces to move about to make peace, keep peace, enforce peace and that sort of thing.

If some arrangement could be worked out whereby we could react quickly to threatening situations, I would say that might be welcome. Of course security, as I say, is implied even in that. But so as not to confuse issues, and so as to give urgency where urgency is due, perhaps if we divide defence from security on this issue, then it might facilitate the management of these two vital things.

If youre talking about an army for Africa, lets talk defence. But as I said security is all embracing and defence is part of security. If it should become necessary and, say, people should want to become specific about defence, then perhaps the defence ministers might constitute a council. Then we may need a security council, to which the defence ministers may also contribute.

So President Kufuor, would that require reconfiguring the existing framework for the AU Peace and Security Council?

It might be that. We need time and, as we think through the problems, if it should become necessary to configure or reconfigure or whatever, I think we will do it. What we want is a solution!

But surely that would require a totally new ratification process, because it would be a different institution from the envisaged Peace and Security Council, wouldnt it?

If we are splitting and drawing new protocols, then ratification may become important.

But very few countries have ratified the protocol for the existing AU Peace and Security Council? Has Ghana?

I need my Foreign Minister to answer that, but he is not around here.

So, is that yes or no?

Thats what Im saying. My answer to you is that to tell you yes or no, I need to check the situation with my Foreign Ministry.

Because, of course, the outgoing chairman of the African Union, President Thabo Mbeki, questioned the commitment of African nations to the Council. He said that in the year since the AU was launched in South Africa, only a handful of countries had ratified the protocol needed to set up the Peace and Security Council. One would deduce from that, that peace and security are not a top priority for African leaders.

Peace and security is always a priority. Its just that Africa is a big place and is right now engulfed with so many priorities, depending on which country you are talking about. But Im sure Ghana has given it attention. Only, the parliamentary timetable is not run from the executive office. You know that. So I would want to hear from my Foreign Minister whether our parliament has given ratification.

What about the situation in Cote dIvoire? Ghana, as the current chair of Ecowas, but also as a neighbour, has been instrumental in trying to restore peace after the outbreak of civil war last September.

I believe Cote dIvoire is making progress. The government of national reconstruction and unity is doing well. Just the other day, Im sure you heard that the Fanci [the government army] and the new forces [ex-rebels] signed what should be described as the final peace accord, during which the erstwhile rebel forces handed weapons over to President Gbagbo. This, I believe, is a very significant development.

And Mr Seydou Diarras government is also working well. In fact I was just talking with the Ivorian foreign minister here. So, I believe that everything is on course towards the elections in the year 2005. And I hope the parties are also positioning themselves towards the elections and the campaign. So, Ivory Coast is doing very well now.

President Kufuor, do you feel that the rocky and unstable situation in West Africa, the insecurity, the civil wars and rebellions, will end and that the region can pull out of its woes?

The region is pulling out of the rocky situation, as you describe it. La Cote dIvoire is succeeding just as Ive described. Liberia is poised to make a dramatic change for improvement. President Taylor has agreed to go. So, the peace talks could progress and a transitional government can be organised and put in place, with a view to elections in October next year.

These are the two hotbeds so far in West Africa. So I would say that West Africa is pulling out of the rocky situation, yes.

West Africa: Ghana's President Expects Taylor to Quit Liberia 'in a Week or So'

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