As fighting in Liberia eased up, the Ghanaian Government on Thursday 28 August dispatched a contingent of soldiers to join their Nigerian counterparts in ongoing peacekeeping operations in the war-torn country. This comes even as United States (US) marines are reportedly withdrawing from Liberia back to their warships off the Monrovia coast.

The Ghanaian troops form part of the additional 1,200 troops that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had promised to deploy to Liberia to reinforce the 1,400 Nigerian troops already in the country. With the reinforcement, fresh fighting by rebel forces have been quelled in the capital city, Monrovia.

Seven ECOWAS member-states – Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Mali, Guinea-Bissau and Benin Republic – had promised to provide 3,200 troops under the military umbrella of ECOMIL. Under the Nigerian command, the troops are expected to secure peace agreements signed in Ghana between the Liberian Government and rebel forces, as well as assist in getting humanitarian aid across to the starving population. They will be joined later in the year by troops from South Africa, Morocco and other countries, which will constitute an enlarged United Nations (UN) force.

ECOMIL is expected to contain any new threats to the peace agreement and ensure the smooth take off of a new Liberian Government on 14 October.

President Olusegun Obasanjo and other world leaders had condemned earlier renewed fighting, which is estimated to have cost over 1,000 lives.

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ECOWAS fixes Liberia deployment date

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