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Liberia: Ellen Lauds Namibia's Peacekeeping Role
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
18 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008
Forging and sustaining diplomatic links with other countries for Liberia is a constitutional role that lies squarely within the domain of the presidency.
President Johnson-Sirleaf has always explored these possibilities somewhat stealthily or routinely.
One of the least thought of angles that many political pundits could not have placed on the radar of prominence is Namibia, which however has played prominent roles in the recent transformation of the country from chaos to the current state of peace.
On July 15, 2008, the Liberian leader set in motion what has become another milestone in the reconfiguration of the modern diplomacy of the country by drawing closer Windhoek to Monrovia, as The Analyst Managing Editor Stanley Seakor relays in this special report.
Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has lauded the peacekeeping role of Namibia in restoring her postwar country. Addressing a joint session of the Parliament of the southern African country, President Sirleaf, who was paying her first state visit there extolled the gallantry of peacekeepers of Namibia in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
"I would like on behalf of the Liberian people to commend the Government and people of Namibia for their contribution of troops to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the gallantry and sacrifices they made so that our peace can be consolidated," the President declared.
Noting that the Namibian contingent was highly representative of the values for which in Namibians stand, the first African female head of state, said that the performance of the contingent was exemplary.
"We are all proud of their accomplishments and I wish to express deepest gratitude on behalf of the Liberian people," President Sirleaf re-emphasized amidst applause.
The Liberian leader, who recently served as honored keynote speaker at the 90th birth anniversary of the former South African president Nelson Mandela, told the Namibian Parliament that her presence in Namibia was evidence of her desire and the country's to forge bilateral cooperation in all spheres with the Republic of Namibia.
President Sirleaf then used the occasion to recount the significant milestones of her administration since the cessation of hostilities in the country.
Beginning with what she described as the 'watershed in Liberia's history', the President said that through the 2005 elections, Liberians declared loudly and clearly that they an end to war and government mismanagement for a new beginning based on peace, inclusive economic opportunities and respect for justice and basic human rights.
She said Liberians further voted to express their desire for security, freedom and opportunity- security in their everyday lives, freedom from abuse and oppression and the opportunity to provide for their families.
According to the President, since this historic vote, her administration has assertively embarked on the 'revitalization of the economy by almost trebling the levels of budgetary income'.
She mentioned government's success in completing a yearlong International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Monitored Program that has enabled the country to reach full Decision Point and that the country is well on the road of clearing gargantuan US$4.7 billion dollar external debts under the scheme known as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC).
She also declared that her government had made progress in its fight against corruption by reviewing and renegotiating all inherited problematic commercial contracts with the support of the National Legislature. Ellen said that these endeavors had resulted to the global body relaxing sanctions on the country's diamond and timber exports.
President Sirleaf related that an anti-corruption policy and its implementation strategy were concluded while a National Corruption Commission Act was under deliberation at the Legislature.
She credited the efforts of her hosts in this regard by saying that Liberia stands to learn from their example. Amongst progress made by the administration, the President said that reforms had been made in the Civil Service while the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that gears to reconcile the nation was fully operational.
She also recounted the efforts in restoring infrastructure and basic services like health and education as well as electricity and water, she said these crucial areas were at various rates of accomplishments.
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The Liberian leader then focused on issues that she called challenges that continue to plague the third world countries. She listed these as rising food prices, increasing cost of crude oil and environmental degradation accompanied by global warming that would hinder achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
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