Liberia's Sirleaf takes presidential oath in 'land of hope'

Liberia's Nobel peace laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in Monday in a lavish $1.2 million ceremony and called for reconciliation after her re-election in disputed polls divided the nation.

The 73-year old grandmother took the oath administered by the country's Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis before giving a speech as thousands looked on from the grounds of the capitol building in Monrovia.

"We have earned our rightful place as a beacon of democracy, a country of hope and of opportunity," Sirleaf said marking her ascent to a second term in office since the end of a brutal 14-year war.

"The cleavages that led to decades of war still run deep but so too does the longing for reconciliation."

Sirleaf said the nation needed a process of national healing not defined "by tribe, region, religions or ethnicity but by equality of opportunity and a better future for every Liberian."

This meant "creating jobs, opportunities and giving our young people the skills they need to prosper and create the life they choose."

After a troubled election and riots mostly attended by youths who face high levels of unemployment, Sirleaf said government should offer a worthy education so young people "can get a job and know the dignity of receiving an honest day's wage"

Sirleaf, Africa's first democratically-elected female president, managed to appease her opponents on the eve of her inauguration.

The opposition Congress for Democratic Change recognised her win Sunday after a rocky election and weeks of negotiations.

While the government said some 30 heads of state would attend the ceremony, few were visible -- among them Guinea's Alpha Conde, Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade and Sierra Leone's Ernest Koroma.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended as part of a whirlwind trip in Africa, and other nations sent representatives.

The ceremony, with singing and traditional dances, was to be followed by a military parade and floats representing Liberia's 15 counties. Several inaugural balls and receptions will take place in different districts.

Foreign Minister Toga McIntosh has said that a budget of 1.2 million dollars (950,000 euros) was approved for the ceremony in what is one of Africa's poorest countries.

Sirleaf remains widely respected abroad for her role in reconstructing the nation shattered by a 14-year conflict despite often messy domestic politics.

A high-ranking official in the Obama administration with Clinton's delegation said Sirleaf "has done a remarkable job of rebuilding her country".

"Liberia has been a close friend of the United States for so many years," said Clinton upon her arrival in Monrovia.

Africa's "Iron Lady" won a joint Nobel Peace Prize in October, just days before a first round of voting in the presidential election, which the opposition said was riddled with fraud.

Congress for Democratic Change candidate Winston Tubman boycotted the run-off and called a protest march on the eve of the November 8 poll which turned violent and saw police open fire on his supporters, leaving up to four dead.