UN General Assembly
2003

peace and stability of the countries of our continent. This unfortunate picture is particularly accurate for West Africa, where several armed conflicts have erupted in recent years, with Liberia as their epicenter. Everyone is now aware of what some of us, the Republic of Guinea in particular, have been saying for years: The civil war in Liberia is contagious and the trigger of a series of crises and armed conflicts in the subregion. It has now touched countries that were once held up as examples of political stability and economic growth and were believed to be immune to such disasters. My delegation should like to welcome the progress recently made in Liberia. The people of that country deserve finally to live in peace. It is a people that, as we all know, has suffered greatly from many years of war and destruction. We were also totally shocked to see all those children being used as cannon fodder in a war that was unjustified and unjustifiable. We also note with satisfaction the progress made in