> Liberians Give Ecomog Peacekeepers Farewell Salute
>
> January 25, 1998
>
> Tepitapia Sannah, PANA Correspondent
>
> MONROVIA, Liberia (PANA) - Thousands of Liberians Saturday staged a
> mammoth parade here to bid farewell to Ecomog African peacekeepers who
> helped to end a murderous seven-year civil war in this West African
> country.
>
> More than 10.000 students from schools in Monrovia and its suburbs
> joined civic groups and units of Ecomog in the parade which was
> preceeded and followed by armoured vehicle carriers.
>
> The students carried banners that read: Ecomog, we love you ecomog, we
> proud of you.
>
> Drenched in persperation, the students also chanted We miss you, Ecomog
> we miss you . As they marched briskly and made trip drills that drew a
> huge crowd along the meandering routes of the parade.
>
> As they marched through Monrovia's main broad street, a platoon of
> Ghanaian ecomog soldiers chanted and danced the Negro spiritual hymn:
> Home, sweet home. When shall I see my native land . I shall never forget
> my home.
>
> The parade wended its way for more than three miles from the Centennial
> Memorial Pavilion, where Liberian presidents have been inaugurated since
> 1947, through three major streets of Monrovia before arriving at the
> Antoinette Tubman sports stadium for an indoor program.
>
> At the stadium, student groups, children, women an civil organizations,
> read statements of thanks and appreciation to the gallantry of Ecomog
> soldiers.
>
> Traditional singers gave melodious renditions in honor of Ecomog and the
> programme which continued all-day long.
>
> The 16-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) sent
> the peace monitoring force (Ecomog) here on Aug. 24, 1990 to stop the
> carnage and mayhem by factional fighters, and restore peace to Liberia.
>
> That peace was finally restored after Ecomog disarmed factional
> fighters, paving the way for Liberians to hold multiparty general and
> presidential elections on July 19 last year.
>
> Under a regional peace pact brokered by Ecowas leaders in Abuja in
> August 1996, Ecomog troops are expected to officially end their
> peacekeeping sojourn in Liberia on February 2.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Copyright © 1998 Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
>
>