U.S. welcomes probe into Liberian violence

Washington welcomes Liberia's efforts to probe election violence through the creation of an independent commission, the secretary of state said. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf secured a second term in office after fending off a strong challenge by former diplomat Winston Tubman. The vote went to a runoff, however, as Sirleaf failed to secure the majority needed to score an outright victory. The runoff was part of an election process meant to heal wounds leftover from the country's 14-year civil war that ended in 2003 with 250,000 people dead. Violence marred the period between the two votes, however, as Tubman's camp complained of bias in the country's national election commission. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a statement issued through her office in Washington, said examination of political violence was a key step in the Liberian national reconciliation process. "The violence on Nov. 7 marred this otherwise peaceful process, so we welcome the creation of a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incident," the statement read. She also criticized Tubman for his decision to boycott the second round of voting. "We urge all political parties to respect the election results and resolve their differences peacefully," said Clinton. Sirleaf was a co-recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize.