Bishops express concern about country's poor image

Liberian Catholic bishops have called on their government to come up with a "clearly defined" foreign policy in the face of Liberia's "gradual isolation" from the rest of the world, PANA reported on Monday.

"It is disturbing to note that up to now (since the inauguration of the elected government in 1997) there are only a handful of foreign missions accredited near this capital," Bishops Michael Francis, Boniface Dalieh and Benedict Sekey said in the letter, titled 'Liberia, the Third Millenium'.

The letter was published in local dailies on Monday, PANA reported.

The bishops said there was a need "to confront squarely and honestly, the moral, social, economic and political indiscipline which permeate the society".

"Inequitable distribution of the nation's natural resources, misguided economic policies, increasing human rights violations,dependency syndrome ... are salient factors that retard the progress and prosperity of our nation," said the bishops, who also expressed concern about indiscriminate
logging.