African press hails Liberia's 'fresh start'

African newspapers have hailed the inauguration of a national transitional government in Monrovia this week as a fresh start, hoping the event would both herald the country's transformation and bring greater stability to the region.

Most papers agreed new Liberian President Gyude Bryant faced difficult challenges ahead. Several called on former exiled leader Charles Taylor to stop meddling in Liberia's politics.

"All eyes and ears were on Liberia on Tuesday - this time not for any bad reasons but for all the good reasons and best of intentions," Ghana's Accra Mail proclaimed.

"Barely 24 hours after being sworn in at a sombre ceremony in Liberia, the new leader... promised a fresh start and an end to 14 years of conflict," Nigeria's This Day reported.

Glory and misery

But South Africa's Mail and Guardian said the new president "faces an uphill battle in rebuilding Liberia", and its correspondent in Monrovia reported that not much has changed on the ground since former President Charles Taylor's departure for exile in Nigeria.

Gyude Bryant faces news challenges.

"Nothing has changed, the situation is even worse for us here. Since Charles Taylor left, we are still deep in misery, starving," one resident told the paper.

Similar worries were echoed in Nigeria's Daily Champion.

Despite an upbeat headline "War-torn Liberia appeared set from yesterday to regain its lost glory", the paper cited a correspondent's report which said residents in the capital were "still in misery, starving".

Relief and optimism

But papers in Ghana, a host to the recent peace negotiations, were confident the new president would be up to his job.

"The task ahead of Mr Bryant is quite enormous but not insurmountable" according to the Chronicle.

It urged the leaders of the formerly warring factions to exercise "strict control" over their followers.

"What Liberia... needs now is a firm commitment by leaders of all the factions to exercise strict control over their followers and to cooperate fully with the new administration to rebuild the country," it said.

The Ghanaian Times also urged the leaders to put national interests above their own or face retribution.

"So, if they do not allow peace a chance now that a fragile calm is holding in that country which is so tired of war, some of us will drop our pens, volunteer and join the liberation forces of Ecowas [West African regional body] and pump some sense into their heads" the paper said.

Charles Taylor has been warned not to interfere in Liberia's politics

For the Accra Mail, the latest developments in Liberia are "a dream come true for not only Liberia but the entire Ecowas bloc and Africa in general".

"With peace now almost fully assured in Liberia, the sub-region can heave a well-deserved sigh of relief," it said.

Brutal legacy

Several papers picked up recent UN accusations that former leader Charles Taylor is still trying "to influence events" in Liberia from his exile in Nigeria.

Abuja's Daily Trust reported that President Olusegun Obasanjo warned Mr Taylor "for the second time in two months" "not to interfere in his country's politics... and not to communicate by telephone outside the conditions of his asylum".

But Nigeria's This Day carried Mr Taylor's recent remarks denying the accusations.

The Ghanaian Chronicle spoke of "the brutal legacy" of Charles Taylor's "despotic rule".

Nigeria's Vanguard reported "many Nigerians are already opposed to the former warlord's exile in a luxury villa in the southeastern city of Calabar", and added that the national union of journalists and bar association have both called for Mr Taylor "to be kicked out to face war crimes charges" at a UN-backed special tribunal in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

"Keep Charles Taylor out of Liberia and out of politics," Ghana's Accra Mail urged.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.