The news that the Liberian Government and two rebel groups signed a peace deal in Ghana on Monday is to be welcomed.

The document is aimed at ending 14 years of strife and establishing an interim government to govern the west African country for two years.

The deal, which has been negotiated by Liberia's political parties and civil society groups, shares government portfolios among the current government, rebel groups and political parties.

This power sharing which takes all interest groups into consideration is likely to help build a stable Liberia.

For Liberians, this is a giant step in finding their way back to peace and political stability.

If things go well in Liberia from this point on, this west African country will serve as a model for other African countries which are afflicted with similar problems.

The troops dispatched by the Economic Community of West African States helped end Liberia's 14-year nightmare and are securing Liberia's capital Monrovia.

Two years will be given to the interim government, which is scheduled to take over in October from President Moses Blah, a chosen successor of the exiled former leader Charles Taylor, to bring calm and start reconstruction before elections.

All signs are pointing to a better future in Liberia, which counts on the continuing support of the international community.

US President George W. Bush said in an interview released on Monday that US troops will be out of Liberia by October 1.

He defined a limited mission, of limited duration and limited scope, for the US Marines in Liberia.

The US troops will withdraw from Liberia to leave the job to the United Nations (UN) blue-helmeted troops.

The US eagerness to stay out of Liberia is a sharp contrast to its tight control over Iraq.

Africa is not, as candidate Bush put it in 2000, part of America's "national strategic interests."

When dealing with Iraq, the United States has succeeded in edging out the UN. In the Liberian case, it has been co-operating with the world organization, and working toward the dispatch of a regional peace-keeping force under the UN flag. It is a force, however, which the United States is supporting, but in which its soldiers are not serving.

Hopefully, Liberia will not be left in limbo after the evacuation of US troops. The international community should help plant the seeds of democracy and make sure that they flower.

At any rate, the latest developments in Liberia show that final peace is finally showing its head over the horizon.

(China Daily August 20, 2003)