Pretoria, Aug 05: Liberian President Charles Taylor has decided to leave for Nigeria soon after handing over power next Monday, his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki said today. "Yesterday (Monday) Charles Taylor called and said, he's handing the government to his Vice President (Moses Blah) next week," Mbeki told the reporters.
"The Vice President will form a government of national unity and he (Taylor) will leave after the installation of the Vice President as President. He will do this as soon as possible - either the same day or the day after - to go to Nigeria."
Mbeki was speaking a day after the arrival in Liberia of a 300-strong Nigerian advance guard of West African peacekeepers, amid widespread speculation that Taylor might opt to remain in Liberia after handing over power.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo offered a "safe haven" to Taylor last month. The former warlord, Taylor, has been President of the West African State for six years.
"The new government of national unity will include rebel groups now fighting there. We are hopeful this will bring some peace to Liberia and the process of disarming the rebels will begin," Mbeki said after holding talks with visiting Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.
The White House and the US State department have said that Taylor, who has been charged with war crimes by a UN-backed court in neighbouring Sierra Leone, must leave Liberia and eventually face the charges.
Bureau Report