 |
Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female head of state, is stepping down
as Liberia's president after a maximum of two terms
|
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
who shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize as a champion of women's rights, is
stepping down after making history as Africa's first elected female president
in Liberia.
AFP
report continues:
Taking
the reins of a nation that had just emerged from a civil war leaving an
estimated 250,000 dead, Sirleaf will be remembered for maintaining peace and
attracting massive donor funding as she rebuilt her country from scratch over
12 years in power.
"We
were a nation exhausted from three decades of conflict. We were starting from
zero, with the complete destruction of our national infrastructure, a collapsed
economy, and a state incapable of providing services to its people," she
recalled of her 2006 inauguration in a final speech to the nation on Wednesday.
She
will on Monday hand power to former international footballer George Weah,
representing the West African country's first democratic transfer of power
since 1944, and will leave behind a mixed record of peace and freedom of speech
cherished by the population, but stubbornly low living standards.
Sirleaf,
79, presided over the 2014-16 Ebola crisis during which more than 4,000
Liberians died, and struggled to counter the effects of plunging commodity prices
in a nation highly dependent on exports of iron ore and rubber.
She
also weathered regional crises in West Africa, most notably as a mediator
during The Gambia's 2016-17 political crisis, when President Yahya Jammeh
stubbornly refused to stand down after losing an election.
Sirleaf
noted in her final address that Liberia "reflects the changing face of the
continent, where rule of law, human rights, good governance, and accountability
are demanded by its citizens. This is Africa's future, and Liberia is one of
its enviable democracies."
-
Massive expectations -
Sirleaf
made use of her international cachet as a Harvard-trained economist, former
finance minister and an executive at the World Bank to get a massive chunk of
Liberia's debt written off in 2007.
Sirleaf
also attracted investments in the mining, agriculture and forestry sectors and
offshore oil exploration.
Her
high profile abroad as a symbol of post-war reconstruction has not saved her
from messy politics at home, where she has faced criticism over the absence of
prosecutions for war criminals, and allegations of nepotism surrounding the
employment of her sons.
"When
Ellen came to power, the expectation of the Liberian people was high, so high
that she could not meet up with such expectation," said political science
professor Emmanuel Nimely.
"That
does not mean that she did not try, she did try but could just not do it
all."
Half
of the roads around Monrovia have been rebuilt and the capital now has running
water. Electricity, once non-existent here, is available in some parts of the
city but the supply is still haphazard.
Yet
unemployment is still high and extreme poverty pervasive. Most Liberian
children do not finish school.
She
herself told journalists last week there were "more things we wanted to
do", adding that her agenda was "more expansive than what we've
achieved".
-
Backing Charles Taylor -
Turning
around Africa's oldest independent state -- first founded for freed US slaves
-- where institutions had become rotten to the core, was never going to be
easy.
Attitudes
cooled to Sirleaf at home when a 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission named
her on a list of people who should not hold public office for 30 years for
backing warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor.
Sirleaf
admitted to initially backing Taylor's insurgency against Samuel Doe's
government in 1989 which led to the country's first civil war, but became a
fierce opponent as the true extent of his war crimes became apparent.
She
calmly deflected the myriad criticisms against her, returning time and again to
the need to reconcile and move forward.
-
'Born to rule' -
Re-elected
in 2011, Sirleaf oversaw a country that slipped into recession under the impact
of an Ebola outbreak, virtually shutting down businesses, and the collapse in
commodity prices.
"The
last five years of Ellen's regime were marked by a flood of people coming from
the diaspora to get jobs while locally qualified people" were overlooked,
Nimely told AFP.
Born
Ellen Euphemia Johnson on October 29, 1938, in the capital Monrovia, she wrote
in her memoirs that an old man predicted days after her birth that she would
grow up to rule.
The
sprightly grandmother, who is equally at ease in flowing robes and headdresses
while charming financial institutions, and in a comfortable pair of jeans and a
cap on the streets of Liberia, married at age 17, but later divorced after the
relationship turned abusive.
She
has four sons and 11 grandchildren.
FINAL
FAREWELL MESSAGE TO THE NATION BY HER EXCELLENCY, ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
JANUARY
17, 2018
12 years ago, on the 26th of January,
2006, I had the privilege to address you, the people of Liberia, for the first
time as your president. We were a nation exhausted from three decades of
conflict. We were starting from zero, with the complete destruction of our
national infrastructure, a collapsed economy, and a State incapable of
providing services to its people. Our collective faith and resolve were put to
test, as they have been many times over in our 170 years of independence.
But the heavy burden my government
inherited, and the painful past which we carried together, were no match for
you, my dear friends. Never did you lose hope in yourselves, pride in our
nation, or the determination to persevere.
It was your energy that lifted me up each
day. Motivated me. Gave me the drive to exhaust all possibilities for the
benefit of our beloved Liberia. As I speak my last words to you as president,
they are simply to say- Thank You for the honor to serve.
Back in 2006, many doubted us -not certain
if Liberia's democratic resurgence would last. That our newfound peace would
hold.
And yet, look around you. Two peaceful and
credible successive national elections. And now, an historic transfer of power
from one elected leader to another.
Our democracy is irrevocable. It binds
every future leader of this country to the will of the people.
Liberia today reflects the changing face
of the Continent, where rule of law, human rights, good governance, and
accountability are demanded by its citizens. This is Africa's future. And
Liberia is one of its enviable democracies.
Dear
fellow Liberians,
The world has changed a great deal over
the past decade. Across the globe, governments and nations are turning inward,
in search of resolutions to their domestic challenges. For a country like
Liberia, this means that we need to be more self-reliant. Each of us has to
take on more responsibility for the development of our country.
We had a contentious, highly-charged
political year. I know that. But now, we must put the disunity behind us.
Liberia has but one president, and one government. We must dedicate ourselves
to ensuring its success.
My parting wish is that you will support
your new government. Respond to its call for action, and civility. And hold it
accountable. My hope is that you cherish our democracy. Participate in it.
Respect and support its institutions. Work together to address the challenges
and take pride in our success.
I wish to offer thanks to our international
partners - the donors, investors, NGO workers, humanitarians, and friends. I
leave my presidency in awe of your generosity. In a world with so many great
needs, you chose Liberia. We have learned and innovated together, and these
gains will go on to benefit our next generation.
We bow our heads to our sisterly African
nations, particularly those in West Africa, who granted us refuge during our
days of turmoil, helped us to regain our peace, and supported us in the path
towards democracy. We can now boast of unprecedented regional solidarity.
I wish to recognize Liberia's essential
partner, the government and people of the United States of America who have
been with us through our historic journey, and stood by us in our difficult
moments. There are many other bilateral partners - China, Germany, Japan,
Norway, Sweden, Kuwait and the United Kingdom, to name a few. Please know that
Liberia's success is also shared by you.
My thanks to civil society, the judiciary,
the Fourth Estate, religious and traditional leaders, through your work, and
your prayer, you have strengthened our democracy, and always reminded us of our
responsibility to live a life of purpose, and in service to others.
And finally, I wish to express my deep
gratitude to all who have served in my government, the political appointees,
civil servants, the security services, teachers, healthcare workers and others.
You should be immensely proud of what you have contributed to our great nation.
You leave behind functioning institutions, a plan of transition, and trained
professionals. The foundation has been laid for the next administration.
God bless our president-elect,
vice-president elect, and all elected leaders!
God bless the people of Liberia!
God bless our great nation!
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