WEST AFRICA-LIBERIA: SPECTRE OF REGIONAL DESTABILISATION LOOMS

ACCRA, Dic 14 (IPS) - GHANA'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER OBED ASAMOAH WEDNESDAY WARNED THAT WEST AFRICA FACED POTENTIAL DESTABILISATION IF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ABANDONS WAR-TORN LIBERIA.

"THE DANGER OF A MELEE AND A FRIGHTENING NIGHTMARE OF POTENTIAL DESTABILISATION IN THE WEST AFRICAN SUB-REGION IF LIBERIA IS ABANDONED SERVES AS THE DRIVING FORCE FOR GHANA'S UNRELENTING SEARCH FOR PEACE IN THAT COUNTRY," ASAMOAH TOLD PARLIAMENT.

GIVEN GHANA'S LIMITED RESOURCES AND THE GROWING FATIGUE AND FRUSTRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THE QUEST FOR PEACE MIGHT BE ABANDONED, PREDICTED THE MINISTER.

LIBERIA, WHICH HAS BEEN ENGULFED IN A CIVIL WAR SINCE DECEMBER 1989, "IS DRAWING ATTENTION FROM THE DIRE NEED FOR ECONOMIC INTEGRATION WHICH IS A SINE QUA NON FOR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL IN THE SUB-REGION", HE ADDED.

THE MINISTER, WHO HAS CHAIRED ALL THREE PEACE TALKS ON LIBERIA IN ACCRA AND AKOSOMBO SINCE SEP. 12, SAID IT IS SURPRISING HOW THE SHARING OF POSTS, EVEN OF AN INTERIM NATURE, HAS OVERSHADOWED ALL DISCUSSIONS ON BRINGING PEACE TO THE BELEAGUERED COUNTRY.

"THE OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS OF DISARMAMENT, ENCAMPMENT AND ELECTIONS ARE NOT RECEIVING THAT PRIORITY," HE LAMENTED.

THE PEACE TALKS HAVE CONTINUOUSLY BROKEN DOWN OVER HOW THE FIFTH MEMBER OF A PROPOSED FIVE-MAN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE ELECTED.

MEANWHILE, GHANA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WEDNESDAY ANNOUNCED THAT ANOTHER ROUND OF PEACE TALKS WILL BEGIN IN ACCRA NEXT WEEK. A GHANA DELEGATION WHICH HELD CONSULTATIONS WITH LIBERIAN LEADERS IN MONROVIA LAST WEEKEND HAS RETURNED HOME.

MOHAMMED IBN CHAMBAS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SAID DISCUSSIONS WITH VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES WERE POSITIVE WITH ALL OF THEM EXPRESSING A RESOLVE FOR PEACE "TO ALLOW THE LIBERIAN PEOPLE TO LEAD NORMAL LIVES AGAIN".

"FOR THE TIME BEING, WE HAVE LEFT THE FACTIONS TO REACH A COMPROMISE ON THE ELECTION OF THE FIFTH MEMBER TO SERVE ON THE FIVE-MAN INTERIM EXECUTIVE COUNCIL," CHAMBAS SAID.

"WE HOPE THEY WILL REACH A FINAL ACCORD FOR PEACE AS A FITTING CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE LIBERIAN PEOPLE." HE ADDED.

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