Liberians say goodbye to peacekeepers

Thousands of people have taken part in a parade in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, to say goodbye to the west African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, which ends its mission at the end of this month after seven years.

Residents lined the route as more than ten-thousand students joined units of the Nigerian-led force, with banners saying: "ECOMOG, we love you and we'll miss you".

The ECOMOG chief-of-staff, Brigadier General Abdul-One Mohammed, said everyone could rejoice that peace had returned to Liberia.

The peacekeeping force helped bring an end to a bitter civil war and oversaw the country's first free elections last year.

But the BBC West Africa correspondent says ECOMOG has been unable to stop factional fighting spreading to neighbouring Sierra Leone, where there are plans for it to be deployed next.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service