UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Liberia can prove its ability to move past the legacy of civil war by making sure elections in October go forward smoothly, the U.N. secretary-general said.
The United Nations has deployed peacekeepers in Liberia since 2003 to preserve a cease-fire that ended a bloody civil war. The conflict there killed at least 150,000 people and another 850,000 fled to neighboring countries.
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is accused by an international court of selling so-called conflict diamonds to fund fighting in Sierra Leone. He has denied the 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his report to the Security Council said Liberia is at a critical juncture as it gets set for its second democratic election in October.
"It is paramount that political personalities take responsibility for their words and actions, which will help ensure a political climate conducive to credible, peaceful elections and the smooth transfer of power," he said in a statement.
Maintaining order and controlling cross-border violence remains a key challenge for Liberia, said Ban.
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became the first female head of state in African when she won a 2005 presidential contest in Liberia. She is standing for re-election this year.
