Inauguration fever hits Liberia with huge ceremony spending
By Shout-Africa.com, Staff Reporter, in Monrovia – Thirty heads of state will attend Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s $1.2 million (9 million euro) inauguration on January 18, Foreign Minister Toga McIntosh said Thursday. “As I speak to you now, I have received word from 30 heads of state confirming their participation,” he told a news conference.
Broad Street Monrovia - Liberia
The entire capital Hill since the Christmas has been decorated with national colours and the streets of Monrovia have been kept clean on daily basis. Six years ago, security was tight at Monday’s ceremony, with armed U.N. peacekeepers surveying the scene from atop surrounding buildings with binoculars.
The U.N. has redeployed 500 peacekeepers previously stationed outside the capital to strategic points in Monrovia and the international airport. Liberian police, though unarmed, have also increased their presence on the streets.
Two U.S. Navy warships also were visible offshore for the first time since the war ended in 2003, a rare show of support also meant to protect two high-profile guests: Mrs. Bush and Rice. Also attending were several African heads of state, including Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo and South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki.
With the position of leading opposition Congress for Democratic Change on the calm side at the moment with their planed a protest march on the day. The Opposition standard-bearer Winston Tubman was seen with President elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf double handedly giving the winning trophy to Margibi County captain as winner of the 2011/2012 County Meet Sport-Football.
Sirleaf, who won a joint Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work in women’s rights, became the first democratically elected female president in Africa in 2005.
