Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is sworn in as Liberia's president at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, Liberia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2006. In a ceremony attended by U.S. first lady Laura Bush and other dignitaries, Johnson-Sirleaf became Africa's first woman president. (Photo: CRI/AP)

 MONROVIA, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Liberia's president-elect Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn in to office in a ceremony held here on Monday as Africa's first female elected head of state.

    In an inaugural speech, Johnson-Sirleaf said before the Chief Justice of Liberia that "We are humbled and awed by the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead - to heal our nation's wounds and make democracy a living and effective experiment."

    Johnson-Sirleaf, 67, won the presidency in November 2005 after defeating football star George Weah in a runoff.

    The inauguration of Johnson-Sirleaf will end two years of transitional rule in the west African country following 14 years of civil war during which a quarter of a million people were killed.

    "It is time for us to come together to heal and rebuild our nation. My government extends a hand in friendship and solidarity to the leadership and members of all political parties," she said.

    "We must put Liberians back to work again, and we must put our economy and financial house in order," she said in an apparent reference to the country's dismal employment record.

    The country has an estimated unemployment rate of 85 percent and an illiteracy rate of about 80 percent with corruption being away of life as the minimum wage of most civil servants is below 30U.S. dollars per month.

    The Harvard-trained economist described the civil service as a "bloated bureaucracy with no clarity in mandate," and said her administration will fight corruption.

    "The country needs a civil service that is efficient, effective and honest. I will ensure that those who work in our civil service are paid commensurate with their qualifications and performance," Johnson-Sirleaf said.

    "We will wage war on corruption regardless where it exist. corruption is ...our enemy," she added.

    Addressing the foreign dignitaries who are attending her inauguration, Johnson-Sirleaf assured that "no inch of Liberia soil will be used to conspire or to perpetrate aggression against our neighbors."

    "Our foreign policy will be based on good neighborliness, regional cooperation and multilateral partnership," she said.

    She acknowledged the contribution of international partners who made security and the restoration of democracy in her country possible.

    Johnson-Sirleaf's victory in the November runoff poll was made possible to a large extent by the support she got from women voters. About half of the 1.3 million registered voters were women.

    Acknowledging the role women played in her election, she said, "the women of Liberia and Africa stood with me and defended me. My administration will empower women in areas of national life."

    She said that women had been treated as second class citizens and bore the brunt of humanity and terror and were conscripted into war gang and raped at will and forced into domestic slavery."

    To the youth, significant number of whom are ex-combatants, she said, "I will do the utmost to address your needs... and we will make the children smile again."

    Heads of state from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, South Africa, Togo, Senegal and Burkina Faso as well as Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy Li Zhaoxing, who is also the foreign minister of China, were present on the occasion. Enditem