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Emba
ttled Liberian President Charles Taylor will hand over power to
his deputy next Monday before leaving the country, President Thabo
Mbeki said yesterday.
"President Taylor will leave Liberia after the installation of that
vice-president on Monday," Mbeki told reporters after meeting
visiting Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki in Pretoria.
Taylor would travel to Nigeria, which has granted him asylum if he
relinquishes power.
Mbeki said Taylor called him on Monday to declare his intention of
stepping down to make way for a government of national unity to be
led by Vice-President Moses Blah.
"President Taylor will leave as soon as possible after that -
either that same day or a day after - to go to Nigeria".
The first battalion of Nigerian troops arrived in Monrovia on
Monday, spearheading the deployment of a West African force in a
bid to end a decade of civil war in Liberia.
More troops from the region are expected to arrive within the few
days.
The peacekeeping force is expected to ultimately number between 3
000 and 5 000 men, who will be commanded by Nigerian General Festus
Okonkwo.
Mbeki said: "So within the next ten days there will be a
substantial force in Liberia and a new government of national unity
that will include rebel groups fighting now".
This would hopefully bring peace to Liberia and create conditions
to prepare for elections and to disarm the various militia, Mbeki
said.
Warlord-turned-president Taylor has made earlier promises to step
down, but doubts have been lingering about his intention to leave
the country.
His government said on Saturday Taylor would leave Liberia only
once a sufficient number of peacekeepers were deployed and if no
war-crime charges were brought against him.
Both the Taylor government and the rebel movement Liberians United
for Reconciliation and Democracy (Lurd) have promised to work with
the peacekeepers.
But both camps have violated earlier ceasefire agreements.
On Sunday, new clashes were reported in Buchanan, Liberia's second
city, between government troops and rebel fighters.
Fighting since early June has claimed more than 1 000 civilian
lives in Monrovia, a city now crowded with hundreds of thousands of
refugees short of food and water.
Mbeki said yesterday he and Kibaki also discussed other African
trouble spots, including the Sudan, Somalia and Burundi.
Kenya is leading negotiations to seek a peaceful settlement for the
conflict in the Sudan and Somalia.
"We looked at those and we hope there will be movement to solve
these questions as soon as possible," Mbeki said.
He said he briefed Kibaki on the progress of peace efforts in the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
Negotiations in Burundi, facilitated by Deputy President Jacob
Zuma, would hopefully be concluded this week.
"We hope all outstanding questions will be resolved so that we can
implement the entirety of the agreement on Burundi".
These developments and Taylor's undertaking to step down gave rise
to some optimism.
"Generally, there is forward movement on the continent with regard
to addressing these conflict areas. I think that is a very hopeful
sign for the continent," Mbeki said. – Sapa.
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