ABUJA, Aug 6: Liberian President Charles Taylor will on Thursday formally announce his intention to resign and is expected to take asylum in Nigeria, the head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Wednesday.

“There will be a joint session of the (Liberian) Senate and the House of Representatives tomorrow,” Mohammed Ibn Chambas told a news conference.

“The ceremony is for Mr Taylor to inform them of his intention to resign. Then, on Monday the handing over proper will happen and this will be administered by the Chief Justice of Liberia.”

“I will expect Mr Taylor to take the offer to come to Nigeria,” he added, referring to an offer of asylum made by the Nigerian government.

A Nigerian presidency spokesman had said on Tuesday that Taylor was insisting that a war crimes tribunal in Liberia’s neighbour Sierra Leone drop charges against him before he take up asylum in Nigeria, throwing doubt over his departure.

Chambas also said that the second wave of several hundred Nigerian peacekeepers would start arriving in Liberia on Saturday or Sunday, departing from their base in the northern Nigerian state of Sokoto. They would join the more than 200 Nigerians already deployed in Liberia.

They would be followed by more troops from Ghana, Mali and Senegal at an unspecified date shortly afterwards.

“All arrangements are being made for the second wave of deployment which will involve the second Nigerian battalion, currently located in Sokoto,” said Chambas. “That battalion is expected to commence deployment on Saturday, so we expect the first elements of the battalion from Sokoto this weekend.”

“Their mandate is to guarantee the security and freedom of movement of humanitarian agencies.”—Reuters