Sirleaf pleads for debt relief

2007-02-13 11:34

Washington - The visit this week of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has elements of a homecoming, as she defends her government's development policies before a three-day World Bank gathering of international experts and delegates from at least 20 countries.

When Sirleaf was in exile from her homeland, she was a World Bank economist, developing the kind of nation-building expertise needed by Liberians still suffering from the effects of two decades of war, devastation and misrule.

In two public appearances on Monday, she said her country has been moving ahead since she took office as Liberia's elected leader a year ago. She conceded, however, that "the challenges are still enormous".

Liberia has received a number of commitments for aid, but visible progress has been slow in coming, she said. "We need to shorten the road between commitments and cash," she added.

A World Bank statement said many of 20 or so countries planning to attend the conference contributed to the $500m in pledges at a donors conference for Liberia three years ago.

"With those emergency funds running out, and hundreds of millions still needed to rebuild the country, the forum seeks to secure international approval and support for the country's reconstruction and development strategy, and explore new funding possibilities," the statement said.

$3.7bn owed

Johnson Sirleaf told an afternoon news conference at the World Bank that she hopes for progress on debt relief because the country simply cannot afford to pay the $3.7bn it owes creditors, mostly the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank.

That sum limits Liberia's ability to borrow additional money, thus slowing the recovery process, she said.

Seated next to World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, Johnson Sirleaf said the country has made headway in rehabilitating roads, getting children back in school and fixing budgetary chaos.

"Most of all, we've restored hope to our people," she said.

Wolfowitz said Johnson Sirleaf had nothing to do with Liberia's mountain of debt. He said the blame rests with predecessors, "who are infamous for good reason". He referred to former presidents Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor, who dominated the country's politics in the mostly chaotic 1980-2003 period.

Wolfowitz said 20 years of civil war claimed the lives of some 250 000 Liberians.

- AP