Military

DATE=2-10-04

TYPE=INTERVIEW

NUMBER=3-869

TITLE=LIBERIA

BYLINE= VINCENT MAKORI

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

MR. BORGIDA

The Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia, Gyude Bryant, met Tuesday with President Bush to discuss reconciliation and rebuilding efforts, following the end of Liberia's 14-year civil war. Mr. Bryant thanked Mr. Bush for helping to bring peace to the West African nation and for U.S. financial aid, which he said will be used to create a new and peaceful Liberia. VOA's Vincent Makori spoke recently with Gyude Bryant.

MR. MAKORI

Now, former President Charles Taylor is wanted in neighboring Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity. But we know that he committed more, worse crimes to the people of Liberia. Is there a prospect of bringing this man to justice in Monrovia?

MR. BRYANT

The peace process that we are undergoing now, this process requires that Taylor be held in Nigeria at this time. And that's how it will be. Taylor was taken out of Liberia under the ECOWAS process. He is being held in Nigeria under certain conditions. And except if Taylor violates those conditions, we will not move, or cannot move, him for now. President Obasanjo has said, after the elections and a new government makes a request for Mr. Taylor, that's a different matter.

MR. MAKORI

Just recently, when Mr. Charles Taylor left to exile, people were happy in the streets. Now, where did this man fail, and how are you going to ensure that someday nobody is going to be singing in the streets of Monrovia because of your departure?

MR. BRYANT

We're putting into place transparency. We're putting into place fairness and equity. We're putting into place a judicial system that will deliver justice to the people, so that the man with the deepest pocket doesn't pay for justice.

Once all of these things get into place, people will enjoy their liberties. People will understand the true meaning of democracy. People will be able to vote their consciences. And thank God, the peace agreement requires that none of us who serve in senior positions in government now can run. So we have no interest. And especially for me, I come from a very, very private background, and I honestly do not wish to seek public office in the future.

MR. MAKORI

There are thousands of children who were recruited into the fighting ranks of the rebel movements, and even of the government. Now, what plan have you put in place to rehabilitate, reintegrate those children into society?

MR. BRYANT

This government has no army. This government has not given arms to any kids. The former government, and I think that's what you meant, the former government and the ruling factions.

What we're doing, we are starting off shortly, or we will resume shortly, a process of disarmament and demobilization of these young people. When we do that, they go through a total rehabilitation process, where we try to give them a clean bill of health, new skills, new values, and then reintegrate them into societies.

MR. MAKORI

There was an international conference on Liberia, and they pledged quite a substantial amount of money, over $500 million, to help reconstruction of Liberia. Is this the kind of money you need to put Liberia on its feet right now?

MR. BRYANT

It's the kind of money we need to begin. It's what we need to get basics, absolute basics, going. And I named them before -- clean water, a clean environment, primary and secondary schools, health clinics and a few good hospitals, farm-to-market roads -- basics, absolute basics.

(End of interview.)

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