Monrovia, Liberia – The Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation is expected to host a peace summit in Liberia to commemorate its 21st anniversary. Liberia experienced peace after the signing of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord almost twenty-one years ago.
In a speech on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at the University of Liberia, Prof. T. Debby Syandee, Director of the Kofi Annan Institute, said, on August 18, 2003, Liberians thought about restoring peace to themselves, but they also added that it would cost them their external allies.
Prof. Syandee went on to announce that the forum will take place at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town on Friday, August 30, 2024, from 10 AM to 3 PM.
“We wish to commemorate this day not only because it is a day of peace, but also to recall what 21 years of peace has meant for our nation the actions we have taken, the difficulties we have encountered, and the victories we have experienced.”
He said the forum will also function as a national discussion, bringing together experts on peace and the signatory parties to talk about issues like the direction and means of travel for Liberians.
Prof. Syandee described how some of the signatories to the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord will be present to celebrate and share their stories about what led them to join the agreement that brought peace to Liberia.
He revealed that President Joseph N. Boakai will also be present to mark the occasion and make a special speech. The past presidents of Liberia, George Manneh Weah and Ellen Johnson Serlief, have received invitations from the school, according to Prof. Syandee.
The Kofi Annan Institute’s director announced that peace messages will also be conveyed by ambassadors at different embassies and by national and local organizations that have backed the Kofi Annan Institute.
He listed the expected attendees, including Women’s groups, Interregional Councils, and International and Local NGOs.
According to Prof. Syandee, throughout the forum, specialists will instruct Liberians on how to recognize the elements that can fortify national harmony and lessen the significance of conflict resolution. He has, nevertheless, characterized the forum as a day of contemplation regarding the 21-year peace that Liberians have experienced.
The event will be significant, according to the director of the Kofi Annan Institute, because Liberians have not had this kind of introspection. According to Prof. Syandee, following the forum, the group will decide on a schedule for regular peace engagements that will educate Liberians about the value of peace.
Reported by: Prince Saah
Contact: +231778239813
Email: saahprince119@gmail.com
