Church Man Chosen to Lead Liberia

A mild-mannered business-man and church leader was chosen yesterday to be the head of the transitional government in Liberia which will aim to lead the country out of 14 years of violent turmoil.

Liberia's rebels and government selected Gyude Bryant, head of the country's Episcopal church, as interim leader and closed the peace talks after 78 days.

The chief mediator of the talks, a retired Nigerian general, Abdulsalami Abubakar, said Mr Bryant would oversee the two-year power sharing accord. The decision follows the signing on Monday of the peace accord, facilitated by the resignation and flight into exile on August 11 of the former warlord president, Charles Taylor.

As part of the accord, Liberia's rebels and government agreed not to vie for the top posts themselves. Instead, the leaders were picked from a list of nominees submitted by political parties and civic groups.

Mr Bryant, 54, a dealer in heavy equipment, was seen as a neutral candidate among the three finalists for the post. He has pledged to work closely with the UN and other international agencies in the transitional government meant to lead Liberia towards elections in 2005.

A priority will be restoring basic services and demobilising fighters, many of them boys. "We have to disarm these young men and let them know the war is over," he said.

The peace talks had opened on June 4 in Accra, Ghana, bringing together the warring sides. But with fighting persisting despite the June 17 ceasefire, west African leaders last month sent in the first troops of a 3,250-strong peace force.

The interim government will transfer power from Mr Taylor's designated successor, the former vice president Moses Blah, in October.