Government withdraw declaration against diplomats

President Charles Taylor’s government has formally withdrawn its declaration of persona non grata against the ambassadors of Sierra Leone and Guinea accredited to Monrovia, news organizations reported on Saturday. The government also lifted “all restrictions” on the two embassies and their staff, PANA reported. Envoys Kemoh Salia-Bao and Baba Soare of Sierra Leone and Guinea, were declared unwelcome by Taylor on 19 March due to “acts incompatible with their status.” The Liberian Foreign Ministry said the decision was made to withdraw the declaration following a request from the heads of state and governments of the Economic Community of West African States, PANA reported Taylor’s private newspaper, ‘The Patriot’, as saying. The government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah accuses Liberia of supporting the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone while Guinea blames Liberia for recent insurgent activities into its territory. Liberia says it has severed all ties with the RUF and denies the claims by Guinea.