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February 2003
Vol. IX, No. 2
Short Takes
Liberia: Epicenter of Conflict
Chester Crocker and Amos C. Sawyer |
To shed light on the violent conflicts threatening West Africa, Chester Crocker, Africa specialist and chairman of the Institute's Board of Directors, moderated a December 9, 2002 panel on the role Liberia plays in the ongoing instability in the region. The panel included Amos C. Sawyer, former Liberian president; William Bellamy, principal deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs; and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, chair and CEO of Kormah Investment and Development Corporation and leader of the opposition Unity Party of Liberia.
Both Sawyer and Sirleaf referred to Taylor and his regime as a "cancer" infecting Liberia and the rest of West Africa. Both also agreed that Liberians must find the courage to stand up to Taylor, and west African leaders must condemn the criminal nature of his regime. Further, the Liberian diaspora must stop internal squabbling and unite behind the goal of ending Taylor's regime.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf |
Bellamy added that the U.S. government is working to contain and ease the negative impact of the Taylor regime's behavior. He argued that the United States should continue its sanctions as they are just beginning to hurt the regime. Empowering democratic opposition, stopping human rights violations, and keeping natural resource revenues (from diamonds, for example) out of Taylor's hands are also imperative.
Macedonia Today and Tomorrow
Ilinka Mitreva |
Macedonian foreign minister Ilinka Mitreva visited the Institute to present "Macedonia's View of the Future" on December 9. Mitreva stressed that Balkan stability, prosperity, and regional cooperation rank high on the Macedonian agenda, particularly in moving towards membership in NATO and the European Union. She described two trilateral efforts involving the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in one case and Albania and Croatia in another.
These activities send a political message, averred Mitreva, that cooperation among the Balkan states at this time is not externally stimulated, and that the political leadership understands that cooperation is necessary to build democratic and open societies.
With defense sector reform underway and continued activities planned to enhance regional security, Macedonia will be ready to join NATO in 2006, she said. EU membership will follow later using a similar strategy. "The journey will not only be easier and faster, but far more pleasant if we travel together," said Mitreva.
Training Online
The Institute's Training Program, at the request of the U.S. Department of State, has developed an online course to train American candidates for positions with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)—specifically the Rapid Expert Assistance and Cooperation Teams (REACT).
The Institute's online course is designed to provide candidates with essential information on the structure and functions of the OSCE, as well as knowledge of key skills used in conflict management. The online course contains some 32 hours of content, including country-specific studies where the OSCE currently has field missions.
The project manager for the course is Ted Feifer, a program officer with the Institute's Training Program. He has conducted training programs for OSCE staff in Sarajevo, Vienna, Tblisi, and Tashkent. Ted noted that this online pre-deployment training program is unique among OSCE participating states, and will undoubtedly become a resource for many of them. The public can access the course at http://react.usip.org.
