European Union to send observers to Liberia ahead of October general elections

The European Union has announced that it will send a group of observers to Liberia ahead of a general election in October.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said Andreas Schieder, an Austrian member of the European Parliament, would head the team of observers to the West African country.

The election in Liberia is gaining attention as the West African sub-region battles with a cancer of military coups.

“The deployment of this election observation mission confirms our long-standing commitment to supporting competitive, transparent and peaceful elections in Liberia, the oldest democracy in Africa,” Josep Borrell said.

“The European Union is a close partner of Liberia and is committed to continue its support to democratic governance,” he added.

The first part of the observers will arrive in the Liberian capital of Monrovia on Aug. 27, while others will join the advance party later.

Liberia is recovering from a military coup in 1980 and a 14-year civil war that came to an abrupt halt in 2003.

In the last poll, current President who is also a former football icon on the continent, George Weah won in a run-off victory in the Liberia’s first democratic transfer of power in several years.

President Weah announced earlier in the year that he would stand for reelection despite the allegations of corruption that marred his first term in office.