Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to maintaining the peace and stability in Liberia.
The Nigerian Leader said the stability of Liberia is a key part of his vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the West African Sub-region.
President Buhari made the statement when he received the special envoy of President George Weah, Ms Mawine Diggs and Acting Foreign Affairs Minister in Abuja, according to a dispatch. .
“The strong bonds of friendship subsisting between Nigeria and Liberia will continue to champion sub-regional peace, stability and development,” the Nigerian leaders said.
He indicated that President Weah, his brother, will continue to work closely with him in strengthening bilateral, regional and international peace and democracy.
President Buhari at the same time commended President Weah for exerting efforts to maintain the good relationship between Nigeria and Liberia.
In remarks, Special Envoy Mawine Diggs appreciated President Buhari and reiterated President Weah’s commitment to the ideals of peace, prosperity and cooperation within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to foster trade and commerce.
She said the government and people of Liberia will forever remain grateful to Nigeria for their manifold assistance to Liberia, particularly the work of Nigerian troops in restoring peace and
stability to the country, adding that President Weah will continue to strengthen the historic relationship between the two countries.
Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president. Since the nation gain it independence in 1960, it has contributed immensely in sustaining peace and stability in the West African region, especially Liberia.
During the Liberian civil war, Nigeria mobilized other Anglophone West African countries to form the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which helped to bring peace to Liberia. At the peak of the conflict, there were about 16, 000 ECOMOG troops in Liberia, with about 75 to 80 percent of them Nigerian soldiers.
Not only did Nigeria contribute over 7 billion dollars in bringing peace to Liberia, but they also lost about 500 Nigerian soldiers in these conflicts. When ECOMOG secured control of Monrovia in the
1990s, they were able to end ethnic-based killings and ruthlessness, while at the same time, bringing concrete human rights improvement and delivery of relief supplies to impoverished war victims.
TSS/abj/APA