Liberia’s democracy is vibrant and alive.

The ECOWAS Ambassador here describes Liberia’s democracy as vibrant and alive as the country celebrates 21 years of peace and stability. 

By Lewis S. Teh

Monrovia, Liberia, September 3, 2024 –The Special Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Parliament to Liberia, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, lauds gains made by Liberians in maintaining and sustaining peace in the country.

“For the past few years I have been in Liberia when it comes to democracy, I can safely say Liberia’s democracy is vibrantly alive,” she notes.

Ambassador Nkrumah observed at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town over the weekend at the 21st celebration of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) that brought peace to Liberia.

She also lauds Liberians for taking peace and democracy into their own hands, emphasizing the 2023 Presidential and Representative Elections.

According to her, apart from the fact that the elections themselves were widely acclaimed and laudable, the key rake away for her, it was a Liberian-led process.

Amb. Nkrumah notes that Liberians demonstrated to the world that they are committed to peace by using their resources for the election.

“Imagine no one, including ECOWAS, was here but the country’s security with its limited resources, and yet, people were committed to peace; this we must acknowledge and applaud.”

Ambassador Nkrumah says despite acknowledging the peace, people shouldn’t forget that lives were lost, saying, “We must see that something needs to be done when it comes to electoral processes and deepening democracy.”

She recalls that it is important to remember what was committed to going back to 21 years when the Comprehensive Peace Accord was signed.

“We should remember all the roles the various organizations played. The Comprehensive Peace Accord or CPA must align with us today, as it was 21 years ago.”

The program, which brought together past and present government officials, members of the diplomatic community, facilitators, and actors of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ended with an interactive dialogue and panelist’s conversation. 

The celebration, in the form of a dialogue, gave the platform to some people who signed the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement to share their experiences on what prompted them to sign the peace accord that brought peace to Liberia. Editing by Jonathan Browne