Liberia's top rebel official threatened on Friday to withdraw from a new power-sharing government, jeopardizing a peace process intended to end 14 years of near-constant war in the devastated West African nation. Sekou Conneh, head of Liberia's largest rebel movement, said rebels' nominations for government positions are being unfairly rejected by Gyude Bryant — a Monrovia businessman chosen by all parties to the peace deal as chairman of Liberia's interim administration. "When we're not fully represented and not allowed to take our offices, we will pull out of the government and go back to revisit the accord," Conneh said.
| "Yeah. We still have some ammunition..." |
The warring sides signed the accord shortly after ex-President Charles Taylor went into exile on Aug. 11. "In fact, Gyude Bryant will have to leave that place (the chairmanship) to save the Liberian people," Conneh said in an interview broadcast on state radio.
"To save the Liberian people?"
"Yeah. To save 'em from us."
"Hokay. As long as we're clear on that point..." |
Conneh's rebels, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, laid siege to the capital, Monrovia, after a 3-year-fight against Taylor. |