A peace deal signed by Liberia's government and rebel factions has offered new hope to the broken West African country of an end to nearly 14 years of bloodshed.
The deal signed in Ghana between President Moses Blah's government and rebels holding more than three-quarters of the country came a week after pariah leader Charles Taylor flew into exile.
Under the deal, Mr Blah will step down in October for a chairman of an interim government to guide Liberia to elections by 2005. The chairman, who will not come from any of the warring factions, is expected to be picked this week.
The rebels, Mr Blah's government, opposition parties and civil society groups will share jobs in the cabinet and parliament.
It came as welcome relief on the streets of Monrovia, where 2,000 people died in the most recent spell of violence before the deployment of West African peacekeepers, backed by US marines.
Liberians have known little but strife since Mr Taylor launched a war to end dictatorship in 1989. After some 200,000 deaths, he won 1997 elections, but his former foes started a new uprising.
Violence spread to neighbouring Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast amid fears it could destroy the entire region.
"Liberians must now allow the love of country to override the love of power," Ghana's president, Mr John Kufuor, told Liberia's political leaders after the signing ceremony yesterday. "You should return to Liberia and treat your country like a cherished but sick baby that should be cared for with love".
The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel faction and a smaller group known as Model have said their war is over and they would be prepared to disarm once a capable international force was in place.
But the government accused rebels of attacking outside Monrovia right up to the signing of the agreement, and Liberians are still wary of declaring peace prematurely.
About 1,500 Nigerian troops are already deployed, but the number of West African peacekeepers should double. The current force is eventually meant to become a UN peacekeeping mission.
The United States also has three warships sitting off a country that was founded by freed American slaves. It has sent ashore up to 200 Marines from a 2,300-strong task force as well as mounting patrols with helicopters and jet fighters.
But President George W. Bush said US troops would be out of Liberia by October 1st after a limited mission to help humanitarian aid reach the devastated country.