Nigeria to Open Door to Liberian
The leader of Nigeria is coming today to personally offer beleaguered President Charles Taylor temporary asylum as a step toward ending Liberia’s civil war, a senior Liberian official said.
With international pressure mounting on Taylor to go, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo will meet with him at Monrovia’s airport, the senior official said on condition of anonymity.
The visit will cap several days of talks between officials in Nigeria -- West Africa’s military and diplomatic heavyweight -- and Liberia over an asylum offer. The White House called on Taylor several times in the last week to step down.
Taylor, wanted on war crimes charges and cornered by rebels in Monrovia, the capital, says he will leave only after an international peacekeeping force deploys. He has broken promises to step down in the past.
Liberians, Taylor and leaders from many countries have called for the United States to send troops to lead the force in Liberia, founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves.
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