International partners will hold a reconstruction conference on Liberia at the United Nations February fifth and sixth. Liberia is coming out of the devastation of 15 years of civil war. The high-level conference will launch an appeal for about 500 million dollars to rebuild the country.
But there are some who say that the transitional government under Gyude Bryant does not need any development money considering that it has about a year or so to run the country.
Christian Herbert is minister of planning and economic affairs and head of the Liberian government’s technical team to the reconstruction conference. He tells English to Africa reporter James Butty that the critics are wrong. He says security, disarmament and demobilization are indispensable to a stable Liberia.
Mr. Herbert also says the repatriation and resettlement of Liberian refugees in neighboring countries is an important mandate of the transitional government. He says he is optimistic that the conference will be successful.
Click above links to download or listen to Butty interview.