Monrovia: President John Dramani Mahama, on Saturday, joined President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the people of Liberia to celebrate their 178th Independence Day celebration in Monrovia. The event was held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Montserrado County and was attended by heads of states from the subregion, including the Presidents of Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau. Representatives from the governments of Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Gambia were also present.

According to African Press Organization, Liberia used the occasion to recognize ECOWAS member states that contributed troops to the multinational peacekeeping force, ECOMOG. This force played a crucial role in ending the civil war and securing humanitarian corridors during the Liberian war.

The celebration, themed “One people, one destiny, healing the past and building the future,” reflected on Liberia’s past and emphasized the need for reconciliation and the development of a united national identity. This theme aims to rebuild a peaceful Liberia endowed with rich natural resources.

President Mahama was accompanied by the Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Lt. General William Agyapong, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe.