Concerned about the planned December 30 protest by the Council of Patriots, a joint mission of the ECOWAS and United Nations on Friday reminded all stakeholders of their responsibility to maintain the peace, security and stability of Liberia.
The delegation noted that the right of assembly should be in conformity with the provisions of the law and cautioned against any form of violence for which they would be accountable.
The joint mission’s statement comes in the wake of the ECOWAS Commission and the U.N. Office in West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) meeting from December 26-27, 2019 to reiterate the commitment of the two bodies to supporting the efforts of the countries of the sub-region, particularly Liberia, towards sustaining peace and development.
The mission is composed of the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, ECOWAS Commission; the U.N. Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, the Special Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission in Liberia; the UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia and the Director of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission;
The visiting UN, ECOWAS officials noted “with satisfaction” the ongoing efforts of the government and its partners towards this end and called on the government to do more.
The communiqué stressed that all parties must acknowledge that the incumbent President is democratically-elected and has a legitimate mandate of six years.
The international delegation said it encourages the government to establish, with the support of ECOWAS, United Nations and its partners a platform or mechanism for a sustainable and an all-inclusive dialogue for the peace, security and stability of the country, thereby eliminating undue recourse to demonstration and protest.
In this context, the delegation exhorts all parties to work towards calling off the December 30 protest in the general interest of Liberia and the sub-region, the communiqué pointed out.
During the interactive sessions, the delegation highlighted the growing security threats in the West African and the Sahel regions and, in particular, the fragility of the situation in Liberia.
TSS/as/APA