UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, Tuesday addressed the joint session of the Liberian Legislature, saying that he was in the country to assess the achievements Liberia had made so far in recovering from a devastating conflict.
Accompanied by his wife, Ban arrived the Liberian capital Monday from Accra, Ghana, for a two-day visit — the second leg of his tour of some African countries.
He said “I am reassured that all branches of the government are working harmoniously for the benefit of the people of Liberia. I would encourage you, as parliamentarians, to continue to engage fully and constructively with the Executive and the Judicial branches of government to pursue national priorities.”
He spoke of the reduction of the UN peacekeepers in the country, and told the legislators that by September, the UN Security Council would decide on the next phase of the withdrawal plan, after reviewing the progress made by the government in meeting certain critical benchmarks.
UN sources said Tuesday that Ban will later visit Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire to assess the latest developments in the Ivorian peace process.
