'Look Across Africa and See the Major Changes that are Happening'

When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa's first elected woman President in 2006, she inherited a country shattered by nearly two decades of civil war. Harvard educated, a former banker and World Bank official, and an opposition leader who was jailed in the 1990s, Johnson Sirleaf had natural allies in the West and at home won widespread support for her promise of egalitarian development. But the test for Liberia's "Iron Lady" was always going to be in the doing. She spoke to Africa bureau chief Alex Perry at Liberia's Foreign Ministry in Monrovia.

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President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

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What's the outlook for Liberia?
We formulated a national vision which seeks to have a peaceful, prosperous country in an environment [of] equal opportunity and equity [for] all, where the rule of law is preserved and [government] transparency and accountability is respected. We're tackling infrastructure [and reactivating] our mines, forests and agriculture. We [got] all the U.N. sanctions lifted on our diamonds and forestry. We restructured the civil service and scaled down government. [We are working on] the restoration of basic services, such as schools and the improvement in conditions of our market people. If there's anything more important, we have restored hope of our people in the future. The challenges remain many. First and foremost unemployment. [Then] the fragility in our security situation [which] manifests itself in armed robberies. We've got the challenge of corruption [and] bringing people to justice in a timely fashion. Roads are the priority of the majority of the Liberian people, because they cannot get their crops to market. And we have a capacity problem. It will take some time. (Read: "Rebuilding Liberia")

Why prefer business over aid?
I do not think aid is sustainable in the long run. We have good friends that come to our aid in the short term, but they'll move on. Only the private sector is sustainable. There was a time when we were an exporter of coffee, cocoa, rubber and palm oil; in minerals diamonds, gold and iron ore. Our task now is to reactivate all of those sectors [while looking at] new areas [like] our offshore oil potential.

When you took over, you were starting from scratch.
We had a country that was really in a state of total collapse. The institutions were no longer functional, all the major productive activity had come to a halt, except for Firestone. [But] the war provided an opportunity for reform. The total collapse of everything is a big challenge. But it does provide an opportunity to change things. That's the kind of tough transition that we're going through right now. Part of it has to do with a change in the culture, moving from dependency to self-reliance, mediocrity to good performance, dishonesty to accountability. That's a more difficult task than fixing the roads and restoring the lights.

Do you think you're passed the danger point?
I think so. We've come too far now to see it slip back. The greatest risk I face is resistance to change. [Often] we hear about assassination attempts. It's always a risk.

Does being a woman president add complications?
It does. I represent the aspirations and expectations of the women. I must ensure their expectations are met. I must open the doors for other women. And people want me to go and speak, to tell of my experiences. I find myself so crowded, trying to represent the women of Liberia, the women of Africa, sometimes even the women of the world. I enjoy being out there, telling people women are going to change the world. But at times I wish I was granted some benign neglect.

What are your personal political ambitions?
I don't know right now. My main ambition is to put this country on an irreversible course of reform and towards development, and to ensure continuity.

What's the future?
A strong economy, with a population that has all of its basic needs met. All of our institutions restored. Liberia can become a post-conflict success story, along the lines of Rwanda and Mozambique. That's our target. Ten years, and we should be where Rwanda is today. [It's part of a pattern] across the continent. Africa is growing equal to or better than all the other regions. Whereas we had military rule and dictatorships, today we have 18 or 19 functioning democracies. Look at how we have gone from [a stance of] non-interference in our internal affairs to respect for the principle of the responsibility to protect. One or two pockets — Darfur, Somalia — remain major challenges. But look across Africa and see the major changes that are happening. The Renaissance is at hand.