U.S. Gov't Cancelled Liberia's $381-Million Debt

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States is canceling the multimillion-dollar debt owed to it by Liberia. Speaking at a Liberia donors conference in Washington Tuesday, she said she hopes the move will inspire other nations to do the same. VOA's Marissa Melton reports from Washington. Spontaneous applause broke out at the conference at World Bank headquarters, when Secretary Rice announced the United States will forgive Liberia's $391-million debt, run up during years of dictatorship and civil strife in the West African nation. "We will cancel that debt, all of it, under the framework for highly indebted countries," said Condoleezza Rice. "We hope that this will help to relieve Liberia's crippling debt burden, a debt burden that today's leadership and today's people of Liberia do not deserve. We hope that it will enable the government to direct more of its resources toward reconstruction and development."Rice said the United States will also work closely with other donors, such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, to help resolve Liberia's debt to those international institutions. She said neither the Liberian people nor their current leadership deserved to shoulder the nearly $4 billion of international debt run up under the dictatorships of Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor.She added that President Bush is asking Congress for an additional $200 million in aid for Liberia for 2007 and 2008.World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said the need to resolve Liberia's debt issues is urgent. "The $3.7- billion debt is an unacceptable burden for a country of only three million people. If Liberians fail to see improvements in their lives, the forces of violence could engulf their country once again, Liberia could slide back into chaos that threatens not only its own people but its neighbors, and an historic opportunity would have been lost," he said.Wolfowitz said the annual income in Liberia is about $120 a year. Liberia's debt is about eight times the size of its yearly output.Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is in Washington this week to attend the donors' conference and meet with President Bush to discuss Liberia's progress during the year she has been in office. President Johnson Sirleaf is lobbying hard for debt relief, but has cautioned the funds for such a move should not come out of existing aid for Liberia. She says her country is striving to be a success story that will inspire other struggling African nations. "Our overarching aim is to build a new nation that is peaceful, secure, and prosperous, with democratic and accountable governance, based on the rule of law, and with vibrant economic opportunities for all Liberians. We must respond to the deep wounds of the civil war while taking steps to establish the foundation for sustained stability and peace in the future. At the same time we must establish a strong economy with robust job growth and a vibrant public sector," she said.Ms. Johnson Sirleaf meets with President Bush on Wednesday. She is expected to brief him on the progress of Liberia's reform programs over the past year.

U.S. Airlines to resume direct flight to Liberia

The Secretary of States of the United States has announced that plans are underway to allow American airlines begin direct commercial flights to Liberia.

Dr. Condeleezza Rice said this would restore the people to people relationship between Liberia and the United States.

Dr. Rice said the two governments would soon sign the Open Skies Agreement to allow business and economic activities to flow between the two countries.

She also said the US Trade Representative would sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Liberia. There have been no direct trade and flights between Liberia and the United States over the last sixteen years.

Dr. Rice said her government would continue to assist Liberia in its drive for reconstruction, development, peace and stability.

ECOWAS, AU, French Condemns Renewed Killings in Guinea

The president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission Mohamed Ibn Chambas has expressed disappointment at the further killing of unarmed civilians that occurred in Guinea during the weekend, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Tuesday.
A statement by the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja on Monday said that Chambas condemned the killings and called on the government of Guinea to faithfully implement the agreement reached recently with the trade unions in order to avoid further deterioration of the social and political situation.
The demonstrators were protesting the appointment of a new prime minister by the Guinean president Lansana Conte.
According to the statement, Chambas reiterated his earlier call on all stakeholders, particularly the political parties, the government, the civil society, the trade unions and among others, to employ dialogue to resolve their differences.
He reiterated the concern of ECOWAS over the situation in Guinea and the institution's commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the country.

In a related development, the French Government is expressing its " profound preoccupation" over the situation in Guinea, appealing for "a responsible manner" .
"France expresses its profound preoccupation following the new wave of violence that erupted in Guinea over the weekend. This seems to indicate that the appointment of Eugene Camara as the new prime minister was not enough to maintain the peaceful climate that resulted from the Jan. 27 peace accord," said the foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei.
France is appealing to the authorities in Guinea and all other parties to act in "a responsible manner" and avoid "any resort to violence."
"We are following the situation in Guinea very keenly, notably in order to guarantee the security of our nationals there," added the spokesman.
Violent protests erupted during the weekend as the alliance between labor unions and opposition political parties threatened to launch an indefinite general strike and called for the resignation of President Lansana Conte.

Liberians in the UK Congratulates GNN for Job Well Done

Mr. Brooks





The Management of the Global News Network, Publishers of this blog, and the Star Newspaper and Magazine has been commended by Liberians in the United Kingdom for its newly launched informative blog.
In a communication to the Chief executive Officer of GNN, J. Cholo Brooks, the Liberians said,"we thank you for the publication.........Liberians in the United Kingdom and Europe will take advantage of your kind offer and send you information as they happen in our diaspora..." the Communication signed by John Nimly Brownell, Chairman of the ULO-UK concluded.
Recently this blog published a news story regarding the graduation of three Liberians from one of UK's highest institutions of learning.
the three Liberians currently studying in the London, the United Kingdom recently were the happiest receipts of their degrees in various disciplines.
The three, P.Tarpowah Dortu Kear, Jr. received MSc. Pharmaceutical Services & Medicines Control, Prince Jemel-Yarmah Jallabah got M.A. (International Development Management, and Sidiki Ayoub Quisia M.A. (International Development Management.
The Union of Liberian Organizations in the United Kingdom (ULO-UK) was represented at the graduation program at the highest level by the Chairman, Mr. John Nimly Brownell and Vice Chairman, Dr. George N. Flahn. ULO-UK officials congratulated their compatriots and encouraged them to return home to contribute in the post war reconstruction efforts. ULO-UK will be continuing discussions with the Government of Liberia to have professionals residing in the United Kingdom return home and join their compatriots particularly in the Health and Educational sectors.
Mr. Peter Tarpowah Dortu Kear Jr. holds a BSc. degree in Biology (with Chemistry as minor) from the T.J.R.Faulkner College of Science & Technology and a BPharm degree from the School of Pharmacy in the University of Liberia . Also, He is a UN trained (under aegis of the International Narcotics Control Board in Vienna , Austria ) Drug Control Officer, and a product of the Commonwealth Health Secretariat' s Training with emphases in Drug Demand Reduction.
Mr. Kear is the Acting Dean and an Assistant Prof.-II for Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy , University of Liberia . He served (from June 1999 to July 2002) as the Chief Pharmacist (i.e. Director of the National Pharmaceutical Services) of Liberia and, statutorily, the Registrar of the Pharmacy Board of Liberia.
Earlier, Mr. Kear served( April 1995 - 1997) as the Director (i.e. Deputy Administrator) of the Pharmacy Department of the J.F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center in Sinkor and later as the Administrator of said institution( 1995 - 1998).
Prince Jemel-Yarmah Jallabah holds a BSc Economics (with Management as minor) from the University of Liberia . He also holds a Certificate, Financial Planning and Programming from the Joint Africa Institute (JAI) African Development Bank, Tunis , Tunisia
Mr. Jallabah has worked as an administrator, Enisul Group of Companies, Gardnesville , Liberia and also special project officer/ analyst, office of the minister, Ministry of Finance in 2004. He is currently administrative manager of IE/Majestic Sports Association
Sidiki A. Quisia holds a BSc Economics from University of Liberia . He is a Junior Economist at the Macro-Fiscal Unit, Ministry of Finance, Liberia

Pastor Stole the Whole Church

Feb. 12) - For nearly a decade, members of Ripon's First Congregational Church bared their souls to Pastor Randall Radic. But clearly it didn't work both ways. There were certain things he wasn't telling them.

That became obvious a year ago, when Radic pleaded guilty to betraying his flock and secretly selling the church and its rectory out from under them. He used the money to buy himself a brand-new black BMW and a laptop - exploits he later chronicled in a cheeky, almost gleeful blog about his double life as a sinner.

"We didn't know anything until we got a call from the bank that he had bought a BMW," said David Prater, who led the church board during Radic's tenure. "He drove that car right down Main Street."

Bart Ah You, The Modesto Bee / MCT

Radic's lawyer says the 54-year-old former pastor will not have to serve more jail time because he agreed to testify about an alleged murder confession

Irate parishioners had been rooting for a long prison term of up to 16 months at his sentencing, set for Thursday.

But Radic's lawyer said last week that the 54-year-old former pastor, who spent six months in jail awaiting trial, will not have to serve any more time behind bars because he agreed to testify about the alleged murder confession of a jailmate.

In the meantime, ownership of some of the church property is still tied up in lawsuits.

"Most of the congregation, being a good Christian congregation, has forgiven him. But there are still things happening to the church that we can't understand," said Judy Edwards, who took over as pastor last year. "If the parsonage was stolen, why isn't it being returned?"

Radic was a respected figure in Ripon, population 14,000, a quiet town of 1940s-era homes and tree-lined streets just off California's Highway 99, where 18-wheelers thunder down the San Joaquin Valley.

"The church was basically senior citizens, people in their 80s, 90s and close to 100," Prater said. "He was their favorite son."

Radic's pulpit was in a wooden, 90-year-old chapel, and he lived in a church-owned house a few blocks away.

"This is a town with a lot of faith," said Navid Fardanesh, president of the Ripon Chamber of Commerce. "People had a lot of trust in him, and unfortunately he took advantage of the situation."

Al Golub, AP

Radic's pulpit was in a wooden, 90-year-old chapel, and he lived in a church-owned house a few blocks away.

First, Radic faked documents giving him possession of the parsonage, and used the property to take out about $200,000 in personal loans, prosecutors said. Then he forged papers saying he had the power to sell the church, and sold it to a couple for $525,000.

After investigators began inquiring about the $102,000 BMW, Radic fled to Denver. Prosecutors coaxed him back, and he was arrested in 2005.

It was in jail that Radic met Roy Gerald Smith, a sex offender awaiting trial in the 2005 slaying of a woman in a death penalty case. In Radic's blog on a now-defunct Internet site, the former pastor suggested that as he gained Smith's confidence, Smith confessed.

Radic soon struck a deal: He would plead guilty to embezzlement and be released from prison. And prosecutors would drop nine other felony charges in exchange for Radic's testimony.

Since Radic was not Smith's pastor, the inmate's incriminating statements are not protected by the usual confidentiality rules involving members of the clergy, Radic's lawyer Michael Babitzke said.

As he awaited sentencing from the comfort of home, Radic started blogging about his personal life. He tried to solicit a literary agent for a tell-all book he called "SNITCH" and spelled out the details of how he fleeced his flock.

Describing the proposed memoir as "a kind of new Bible," Radic wrote that "true-crime shall have a container in which to wallow, a boat which, when it embarks, will traverse the major oceans. Like an esoteric prayer, a Catholic confession, a Gregorian chant or a murderer's insouciance, it will hum a tune inside one's bones."

Radic, who still lives in Ripon, did not find a buyer for "SNITCH," but he did sign a deal last month to publish a book called "The Sound of Meat," billed as a "(fairly) truthful" memoir.

"So, you really want to know which camp I belong to ... right? Saint or ... Sinner?" he wrote on his Web page, which features grainy shots of a nearly naked woman and a portrait of Radic smoking and drinking. "The truth really is a lot more complicated. It leads down the winding paths of the human heart and challenges anyone who follows to defy it."

The church got its title back last year, and parishioners have been able to worship there throughout the ordeal. But the church is still out tens of thousands of dollars lost in transaction fees, and has yet to recover title to the parsonage, which is owned by a real estate investor who bought it from Radic. The new pastor, Edwards, lives in a motor home.

Radic still faces a number of lawsuits - by the couple who bought the church, the title company that insured loans on the parsonage, the real estate investor and the former notary public who signed off on Radic's fake deed for the parsonage.

But criminal proceedings against him appear likely to end when he is sentenced.

"He's very remorseful and regretful about the situation," his lawyer said. "I think he made some egregious mistakes. But in an imperfect world ... people behave imperfectly. "

As Situation in Guinea Worsen, WFP Warehouses Looted

CONAKRY – The United Nations World Food Programme has condemned the looting of three food warehouses in Guinea over the weekend – resulting in the loss of nearly 450 metric tons of food aid destined for school children and the poorest communities.

WFP estimates the value of the losses at US$ 350,000.

During violent disturbances in the eastern city of Kankan on Sunday, a WFP warehouse was stripped bare, and a total of 350 tons of rice, yellow split peas and cooking oil was stolen by marauding local inhabitants. Other items such as cooking pots, plates and spoons were also looted.

In addition, WFP's office in Kankan was attacked by a mob throwing stones, forcing the evacuation of the only international staff across the border into Mali.

Further disturbances, again involving local inhabitants, near the town of Labé in central Guinea over the weekend caused the loss of a further 97 metric tons of food commodities from two warehouses belonging to WFP's government partners – in Pita (Saturday) and Dalaba (Sunday).

The stolen food was meant for children enrolled in WFP's school feeding programme. Each year, over 200,000 children in Guinea receive school meals on a regular basis. The looted food was also intended for other non-emergency activities which include food-for-work projects, nutrition programmes for young children and their mothers and support to people suffering from HIV/AIDS.

"This food was for the poorest of the poor in Guinea – it has been mindlessly plundered by people who have no respect for the property of others," said WFP Guinea Country Director, Philippe Guyon LeBuffy.

"At this point, it's hard to know when we will next be able to provide schools and other institutions with the food aid they rely on for their programmes. We understand there is widespread frustration and anger in the country, but actions such as these will only make the lives of the poorest even worse," Guyon LeBuffy added.

The looting means there are now no remaining food stocks in Kankan. Some 500 metric tons for operations around Labé are still intact as are food aid stocks for WFP's refugee operation in the Forest Region of Guinea.

The violence which is sweeping through Guinea forced WFP last weekend to suspend temporarily all its operations, although February distributions to the most needy Liberian and Ivorian refugees have been completed.

WFP is monitoring the situation closely, including the possibility that new food needs may arise should the situation deteriorate further, as many people are suffering an acute loss of income resulting from the strike action and civil unrest.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 58 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People.

WFP Global School Feeding Campaign – For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school – a gift of hope for a brighter future.Visit our website: www.wfp.org

WFP now provides RSS feeds to help journalists keep up with the latest press releases, videos and photos as they are published on WFP.org. For more details see: http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=999.

WFP now has a dedicated ISDN line in Italy for quality two-way interviews with WFP officials.

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Marcus Prior, WFP/Dakar, Mob: + 221 569 0267

U.N. Secretary General Message to Liberia Partbers' Forum Delivered by Alan Doss

Washington D.C., 13 February 2007

Three years ago, as Liberia emerged from 14 years of war, many of you gathered in New York for a donors’ conference. At that time, the country’s infrastructure was in shambles, State institutions were nonexistent, Monrovia lay in ruins and thousands of people remained displaced. Since then, Liberia has made real progress towards restoring and consolidating peace:

· Former armed factions have been dismantled, and more than 100,000 combatants have been disarmed;
· Free and fair elections in late 2005 led to a new democratic Government headed by President Johnson-Sirleaf;

· More than a half-million displaced Liberians have returned to their homes;

· The training of a new police force and of the Army is well under way; and

· Sanctions on the country’s timber have been lifted, and an economic governance reform programme is being implemented.

As a result, Liberians finally have reason to be hopeful about their future: school enrolment is at an all-time high; children are being vaccinated; and civil servants are being paid on a regular basis; corruption is being investigated and prosecuted. Liberia is fast emerging as a pillar of stability in the region.

These are welcome developments, but they represent, at best, the end of the beginning. Much work lies ahead to entrench lasting peace and development in this war-ravaged part of Africa. Liberia’s Government and citizens will necessarily take the lead in such efforts. But to succeed, they must be able to count on the continuing and collective support of the international community.

The Government’s interim Poverty Reduction Strategy outlines priority areas needing urgent assistance. These projects range from the reintegration of the country’s war-affected population and reform of the security sector, to the rehabilitation of Liberia’s legal, judicial and correctional systems. Donor support is also being sought for employment generation, restoration of basic services such as electricity and water, and infrastructure rehabilitation. Today, I appeal to all of Liberia’s partners to contribute generously towards these programmes.

Let me assure you that the United Nations remains committed to doing its part. UNMIL will continue to provide security and public order in the country. It will work with our partners to help Liberia restructure its security agencies. We will also work with the Government to develop a carefully calibrated drawdown plan for UNMIL. This plan requires the approval of the Security Council, and it needs to be linked to the Government’s capacity to shoulder its security and law and order responsibilities. In the meantime, the entire United Nations family in Liberia will continue to support the Government’s national reconstruction and development agenda.

Liberia has weathered terrible conflict. Growing up in war-torn Korea, I observed firsthand how such strife robs individuals of opportunities for a decent life, and entire societies of prosperity. But I also saw my country overcome that terrible legacy, and achieve great prosperity. I am confident that, with your support and its peoples’ efforts, Liberia can – and will – succeed as well.

In that spirit, let me wish you a most successful meeting.

(Courtesy of UNMIL Public Information)

Chimpanzee In Nimba County Intensifies Hunt for Residents, As Villagers take to their Heels for fear

Rural dwellers in Nimba County are said to be on the run daily as a giant size chimpanzee,about 6'8" tall chase them out of their villages in pursuit of human flesh.
Despite massive search for this deadly beast, the animal has intensify effort to hunt local villagers in the county.
Sources from the County told the GNN that several villagers have fled their homes and farms due to the re-appearance of this beast yesterday evening, "while at sleep we heard the movement of this animal as it kept banging at the homes of our neighbour. My wife and I had to run for our lives," Johnson Saye in a terrified mood told the GNN in Ganta.
Several farmers have forcibly abandoned their farm lands for fear of been eating by the chimpanzee. Recently the Superintendent of the an appeal to central Government to come to the aid of his citizens to hunt down this animal.
Superintendent Kamei said a massive search that was launched last week by the citizens of the county is said not to be succeeding.