Western African countries are planning to send 1,000 peacekeepers to Liberia within two weeks.
| How many people can be killed in two weeks? |
A spokesman for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says the regional bloc also expects help with logistics from the United States. Western African countries have pledged 3,000 troops to keep a ceasefire in Liberia but they want the same number of US forces with them to help end 14 years of violence in the country founded more than 150 years ago by freed American slaves. The executive secretary of ECOWAS, Mohammad Chambas, says the first African troops will be deployed soon. "Our sub-regional leaders with the UN secretary-general, they have seen the need to move within the next two to three weeks to position ECOWAS troops in Liberia as a vanguard of a force, a stabilisation force that will be deployed in that country," he said. UN secretary-general Kofi Annan says while western African nations will play an immediate role, other countries will eventually follow suit and deploy troops. "The immediate challenge has been taken up by the ECOWAS ... with the full support of the African Union and eventually I'm sure we will see African troops from other parts of the continent joining a force to pacify Liberia," he said.
| And then all will be well. Is Chuck gone yet? |
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