Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., February 02, 2008 Shvat 26, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:27 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf right, meets with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato at the IMF Headquarters in Washington. Last update - 06:30 03/11/2007 Liberian Pres. Johnson-Sirleaf to pay Israel rare visit by African leader By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service Tags: Liberia  Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will arrive in Israel in two weeks for a rare diplomatic visit by an African leader. Johnson-Sirleaf is the continent's first ever elected female head of state. On her visit, she is expected to meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Johnson-Sirleaf's road to power was a turbulent one. She was an opposition leader during the regime of Samuel Doe, who led a 1980 coup to overthrow William R. Tolber, Jr., a descendent of the freed American slaves who had ruled Liberia since the early 19th century. She served a prison sentence in the mid-1980s as punishment for criticizing Doe's regime. Advertisement In 1997, Johnson-Sirleaf, a Harvard-educated economist, squared off against incumbent Charles Taylor in the presidential elections. Taylor emerged victorious, and proceeded to accuse Johnson-Sirleaf of treason. She was forced to leave the country and spent her exile in Washington, D.C. For the next six years, a devastating civil war that had periodically recurred since 1989 continued to tear the country asunder, killing an estimated 200,000 people and causing many more to flee. Seeking refuge from the fighting, Liberians gathered in hastily erected camps that sprung up in neighboring African countries where conditions were minimal. Some Liberians arrived in search of asylum in Israel, where the community today numbers in the several hundreds. Following the end of the Liberian civil war in 2003, Johnson-Sirleaf returned to her country. In November 2005 she was elected president and placed with the gargantuan task of rehabilitating her war-ravaged nation. Charles Taylor is currently in The Hague, awaiting trial by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for war crimes he committed during that West African country's civil war. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.   1.   CHAIM SOLANKI 12:44  |  CHAIM SOLANKI 02/11/07   2.   african begger 12:55  |  the belgian 02/11/07   3.   #2 13:08  |  LIBERIAN 02/11/07   4.   COURAGEOUS LADY SHE DESERVES A WARM WELCOME 14:18  |  J.Coon 02/11/07   5.   Liberian Female President 15:40  |  goldie klugman 02/11/07   6.   1...chaim..... yea rare..... guess why? 16:00  |  ravi 02/11/07   7.   settler colonies stick together 16:13  |  Danny 02/11/07   8.   TRAITOR: Liberia Is A Country Formed By Freed Slaves. 17:21  |  Proud Pal Defender 02/11/07   9.   Danny UK 17:23  |  leon 02/11/07   10.   Dav talking nonsense... 17:25  |  Boyo 02/11/07   11.   Ravi #7: Has S. Africa apologized to Israel? 17:40  |  Ruben 02/11/07   12.   To Booby Pal `Defender`: This is Wonderful News! 18:20  |  Mohan 02/11/07   13.   Sounds Like an interesting Woman 20:46  |  JoeyB 02/11/07   14.   #8 Traitor 22:35  |  Israeli 02/11/07   15.   To the Belgian 23:09  |  Miransky 02/11/07   16.   To the Belgian 23:10  |  Miransky 02/11/07   17.   2# african begger 23:39  |  the tush 02/11/07   18.   Ignorant Israel-haters don`t seem to know Israel helped Africa 01:31  |  McQueen 03/11/07   19.   Liberian president to visit Israel 13:53  |  Benjamin 03/11/07   20.   #8 OUTTA MEDS AGAIN? 13:59  |  Petra 03/11/07   21.   #2, cant believe this 13:59  |  journalist 03/11/07   22.   #14 ISREALI BRAVO TOUCHE" MAZEL TOV!!! 14:02  |  Petra 03/11/07   23.   #15 YES TO YOUR POST EXCELLENT! 14:03  |  Petra 03/11/07   24.   #18 McQueen NY YES. BUT WHEN HAS IGNORANCE STOPPED THEM? NEVER 14:05  |  Petra 03/11/07   25.   #8 after the pride come tears 14:12  |  journalist 03/11/07   26.   11...ruben...????? 15:28  |  ravi 03/11/07   27.   OH I SEE WHO WAS BEHIND CHARLES TAYLOR`S OUSTER 18:12  |  JACKAL 03/11/07   28.   #27, Seeing a thing 01:15  |  Journalist 04/11/07   29.   Welcome Madame President! 07:29  |  Puregoldj 04/11/07   30.   Rare visit by Liberian Pres to Israel 16:43  |  Maurice 01/02/08

Today Online Three wounded in attack on Israeli embassy in Mauritania Responses: 223 Colette Avital: Evangelical donations to Israel are disturbing Responses: 97 U.K. Jewish group slams Gaza blocakde, sparks controversy Responses: 111 Gadi BenMark: Israel needs an Arabic version of 'Hatikva' Responses: 78 Amnesty Int'l: Israel's war crimes ignored by Winograd report Responses: 141 Rosner's Domain Not despite Iraq - because of Iraq Super Tuesday: Counting the Jewish votes (WTR) Poll: Is there a "constant virulent campaign" against Obama? The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one Rosner's Guest: Anti-Israel activities often turn anti-Semitic More Headlines 00:40 Egypt thwarts Hamas plan to attack Israeli tourists in Sinai 00:06 Israeli Arabs protest AG decision on killings during Oct. 2000 riots 15:44 Three hurt in attack on Israeli embassy in Mauritania 19:56 Defense official: Hasidim put IDF soldiers' lives at risk in Nablus 14:54 Bloggers try to counter anti-Israel media bias with bad news on other states 14:36 British Jewish group sparks new outrage with condemnation of Gaza blockade 22:34 Man, 50, found dead in Dimona; police suspect murder 11:57 Report: Meshal says abducted IDF soldier Shalit 'alive and well' 19:09 Turkish Airlines jet and Israir plane in near collision at Ben-Gurion 16:55 Czech court overturns ban on neo-Nazi march past city synagogue 13:06 Hamas frees Fayyad advisor detained in Gaza over a month ago 10:57 UNESCO chief: We are trying to mediate over Temple Mount bridge 11:04 Top IDF brass: Winograd report on Lebanon war an 'earthquake' Previous Editions Select Day 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan

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