Liberia and two of its neighbors are asking Nigeria to turn over Liberia's ousted president, Charles Taylor, so he can be brought before a U.N.-backed war-crimes court in Sierra Leone.
The leaders of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea say Mr. Taylor has violated an agreement that allowed him to leave for Nigeria two years ago. They charge that he has continued to interfere in the affairs of all three countries and ignored the 2003 peace accord that ended Liberia's civil war.
A communiqué signed by the three leaders was issued Friday by the Mano River Union, their regional grouping, following a summit meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The communiqué was signed by Sierra Leone's president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah; Liberia's transitional chairman, Gyude Bryant; and Guinea's Prime Minister Cellou Diallo, on behalf of his president, General Lansana Conteh.
Mr. Taylor is accused of multiple war crimes for his role in Sierra Leone's long civil war. Among other charges, he is accused of recruiting and drugging child soldiers and encouraging his forces' use of rape and mutilation to brutalize civilians.