Liberia's
Leader Visits Sierra Leone
By Yusuf
Alghali
C
hairman
of the National Transitional Government and
Head of State of the Republic of Liberia His
Excellency Gyude Bryant, has expressed unreserved
apologies to the government and people of
Sierra Leone for the atrocities committed
by Liberians during Sierra Leone's decade-long
civil war. Liberian fighters and mercenaries,aided
and abetted by former President Charles Taylor,
played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary
United Front's (RUF) brutal war unleashed
on Sierra Leone, resulting in widespread destruction,
slaughter and maiming of thousands of innocent
Sierra Leoneans.
Addressing
a press conference
at State House this morning, following his closed
door discussions with host Head of State' President
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the visiting Liberian leader
indicated his peoples' desire to mend fences
with their neighbours of Sierra Leone and turn
over a new leaf in their bilateral relations.
Chairman
Bryant said "This is a good day for Liberians
and Sierra Leoneans because this is the first
time in many years that we have been able to
come here for the sole purpose of solidifying
and confirming to our brothers and sisters of
Sierra 
Leone
that we are now committed to live in peace.
"President
Kabbah's reception this morning has overwhelmingly
confirmed to me that we are truly at peace.
The wrangling, struggling and fighting for diamond
and gold is now over and behind us. We are now
committed to ensuring that we continue our lives
in peace. Let our people go back to doing what
they've been used to doing in many many decades,
crossing borders, visiting relatives and trading.
"We're
finished with war. We are absolutely finished
w
ith
war. We want peace. I want to sincerely apologise
to the people of Sierra Leone for all the harm
and hurt that Liberia and Liberians have brought
to them. Not all of us endorse these things.
These things are not the values of the Liberian
people. It's nowhere in our culture. Where these
things sprung up from over the past years, I
don't know.
"But
we deeply regret the hurt. We beg you to forgive
us. We beg you to put away the bitterness. Let's
be brothers and sisters at peace with one another
and let's move our two countries forward."
Earlier
on their arrival at the Hastings Airfield, Chairman
Gyude Bryant and entourage were received by
President Kabbah and senior members of cabinet,
followed by an inspection of a full military
guard of honour mounted by a section of the
fifth battalion
of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces
(RSLAF).
Moments
later, the two Heads of State drove in a motorcade
through the main streets of the capital city
of Freetown to State House at Tower Hill, where
they both had an hour-long discussions, culminating
in the signing of a Joint
Communique.
-End-
