Liberia was the home of some of Africa's most troublesome wars years ago; the wars took the lives of thousands and paralised all activities in the West African nation. Two bloody wars were fought almost concurrently spilling over into Sierra Leone. Charles Taylor, who was the arrow-head of the wars is facing trial at the Hague.
The First Liberian Civil War was an internal conflict in Liberia from 1989 until 1996. The conflict killed over 200,000 people and eventually led to the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and of the United Nations. The peace did not last long, and in 1999 the Second Liberian Civil War broke out.
After the exit of Charles Taylor and election conducted in which Nigeria under President Olusegun Obasanjo played a crucial role in seeing to its peaceful outcome and resolution of all grievances, George Weah who also contested but lost controversially to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became a peace ambassador of Liberia.
Weah, who was recently chosen to be Liberia’s Peace Ambassador, invited Cameroonians Roger Milla and Patrick Mboma, JJ Okocha of Nigeria and Cyril Domoraud of Ivory Coast for a glittering exhibition match in the capital Monrovia on Saturday.
“I know my job is very difficult but I want you all… to join me in sending the message of peace to our people. My appeal to you all is to help me achieve peace,” Weah said as he launched a campaign for post-war reconcilation.
Thousands of Liberians enjoyed a display of skill put on by the veterans before Weah presented his Ballon d’Or — which he was awarded for being European Footballer of the Year in 1995 — to the people of Liberia.
Deep psychological and physical wounds remain in Liberia after two back-to-back civil wars which ran from 1989 to 2003 and left a quarter of a million people dead. His major mission is to bring lasting peace back to his beloved country.
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