Brussels, 16/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to make 8 million EUR available to support the peace process in Liberia.
Of this sum, 6.12 million EUR will pay the wages and daily rations of food and water for the ECOWAS forces, currently numbering 2,500 men from Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ghana, and who will soon be increased to 3,250.
The rest (1.46 million) will help to cover the establishment and running costs for one year for Ecowas's special representative to Liberia, Francis Blain, and his team (27 people). Francis Blain's mission will be to head up the implementation of the peace agreement concluded on 18 August, and to lend a hand to the transitional government, which will take up office on 14 October.
Commenting on this funding decision, Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for development policy, said in a press release: "we have in recent years witnessed an increasing and successful involvement of African leaders in conflict resolution on their continent. Ecowas's role in brokering and monitoring peace in Liberia is a good example. I believe it to be our firm obligation to lend our full support to these efforts as these conflicts are poisoning any prospects for development".