New Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is presented with a green sash by Senior Ambassador-at-Large George Wallace at her inauguration ceremony at the Capitol Building in Monrovia yesterday. - REUTERS
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP):
AFRICA'S FIRST elected female head of state Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in yesterday as war-battered Liberia's new president, promising a "fundamental break" with the West African nation's violent past and pledging to rebuild.
With United States navy warships hovering offshore for the first time since the war ended two years ago, and U.S. first lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on hand in a rare show of support, the moment was met with thunderous applause from thousands of guests.
COME TOGETHER TO HEAL
"It is time for us, regardless of our political affiliations or persuasions, to come together to heal and rebuild our nation," 67-year-old Sirleaf said in an inaugural speech.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan offered congratulations, saying in a statement that Sirleaf had a "historic mandate to lead the nation toward a future of lasting peace and stability."
Founded by freed American slaves in 1847, Liberia was prosperous and peaceful for more than a century, bolstered by abundant timber and diamond wealth.
SENSE OF DEPRIVATION
But back-to-back civil wars from 1989 to 2003 brought the country to its knees, killing 200,000 people and displacing half the tiny nation's population of three million.
Today, not even the capital has running water or electricity: the rich rely on generators, the poor on candles. Unemployment is 80 per cent.
"We have all suffered. The individual sense of deprivation is immense," Sirleaf said.
She acknowledged the task of rebuilding would bring with it high expectations, but called for patience. "The task of reconstructing our devastating economy is awesome, for which there will be no quick fix, yet we have the potential to promote a healthy economy in which Liberians and international investors can prosper."
