IRC Welcomes Transition in Liberia, Says Interior Access Should be Priority

The International Rescue Committee welcomes Tuesday's installation of a new transitional government in Liberia and is urging the new leaders and the United Nations to speed up the deployment of peacekeepers to rural areas of the country.

"Liberia is finally on path toward and peace and stability," said the head of IRC programs in Liberia, Wubeshet Woldemariam. "The next important step is to make sure that currently inaccessible parts of the county open up, allowing humanitarian organizations to operate in these unserved areas."

While the situation remains peaceful in the capital Monrovia, thousands of internally displaced people are still fleeing clashes between rebels and former government militia in the interior and tens of thousands are in desperate need of basic services.

"It is paramount that all combatants are disarmed so that people can safely leave camps, return to their homes and start rebuilding their lives again," Woldemariam said.

The new coalition government, led by businessman Gyude Bryant, will remain in power until democratic elections, scheduled for 2005.