Senegalese President Extends Hand of Friendship to Liberia

ceasefireliberia

15 years ago

Categories: PoliticsWorld

Senegalese President Extends Hand of Friendship to Liberia

By Leroy M. Sonpon, III from Senegal

The President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Waye, has given a two-year rent waiver to the Liberian Embassy in Senegal, as a way of further strengthening the diplomatic ties between the two West African nations.

Madam Mary Ann Fossung, the Consul of the Liberian Embassy in Senegal, told journalists that from January 2009 to January 2011, the Liberian Embassy, which occupies two flats in a two-storey duplex in Dakar, headed by Ambassador Johnny McClain, will not pay rent.

Madam Fossung, who is also the First Secretary General of the Liberian Embassy, indicated that the kind gesture of the Government of Senegal was another way of enhancing the bilateral agreement between the two countries.

The Liberian Embassy’s First Secretary General also told journalists that since they reopening of the Embassy in January 2009, there had not been any reported crime among Liberians residing in Senegal.

Madam Fossung, however, disclosed that cases of improper documents relative to Liberians in that country were rising, but owing to their interventions, the cases were being amicably resolved.

“There is no crime rate among Liberians here so far; we are only experiencing documentation problem from the Liberian community,” Madam Fossung said.

The Consul further disclosed that a campaign to encourage Liberians who are not doing any job or business in Senegal to return to Liberia had been launched, adding that they were in close contact with the Liberian community, headed by James Kollie.

When contacted via phone, James Kollie confirmed that the Embassy has a very cordial relationship with Liberians in that country.

However, he used the occasion to call on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Government of Liberia to help repatriate Liberians who have expressed interest in returning home from Senegal. He said most of the Liberians in that country want to return home but lack the necessary funding.

“We are appealing to Government to help our brothers and sisters who want to go home to provide the funds through the Embassy in Senegal to come home.

“Hundreds of Liberians in Senegal are yearning to return home and contribute to the reconstruction of Liberia,” he added.

This article was originally published on www.ceasefireliberia.com

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ceasefireliberia: During the 14-year civil war that tore apart Liberia, families were separated as they fled the brutality of warring rebel groups. When the fighting ended in 2003, Liberians began to pick up the pieces of their lives and their country. Some returned to their communities in Liberia. Others remained scattered across the Diaspora. Many ended up living in Park Hill, Staten Island â€” home to one of the largest Liberian populations outside of the country. Ceasefire Liberia is a multimedia project, which aims to document the Liberian experience on both sides of the ocean. It includes a book, documentary film work, and now a blog. The goal of the blog is to connect the Liberian community in Liberia with the rest of the Diaspora in order to create a dialogue between those who fled during the war and those who remained. To read more about the origins of this project please visit the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, which funded Scars and Stripes, a project about Liberian youth after the war. Ruthie Ackerman is a reporter based in New York City. Over the last several years, she has lived and worked around the world, including Africa, Argentina and Russia. Her most recent work was in Liberia reporting on Liberian youth. She is in the process of writing a book on Liberian refugees living in Park Hill, Staten Island. Her work has been featured in many outlets, including The Nation, World Policy Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Salon, Forbes, The New York Times, and many more.