Tens of thousands of Liberians cheered Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as he drove through the capital today, applauding a leader who has played a central role in ending the bloodshed on Monrovia's streets.
Crowds waved little green-and-white Nigerian flags as Mr Obasanjo and Liberia's caretaker President Moses Blah crossed the battle-scarred city in a convoy of jeeps, pickups with mounted machineguns and armored personnel carriers.
The scenes were reminiscent of the welcome given to Nigerian troops when they arrived in Monrovia in mid-August to keep a fragile peace between rebels and government troops after bloody battles left around 2,000 civilians dead in June and July.
West African bloc ECOWAS sent the peacekeepers, mainly Nigerians, to help secure Liberia and allow international aid agencies to assist a people traumatized by years of bloodshed.
As well as sending the first peacekeepers, Mr Obasanjo offered asylum to Liberia's former President Charles Taylor in a bid to end the fierce fighting in Monrovia.
But despite a peace deal signed by Liberia's government and two rebel factions last month, fighting has continued outside Monrovia, far away from the foreign soldiers.
In a sign of ongoing insecurity in the city, a government Special Security Services vehicle was attacked by suspected rebels on its way to the port ahead of the official visit. The vehicle's windows were smashed and one man was slightly injured.
Mr Blah appealed to all Liberians to welcome the peacekeepers, acknowledging painful memories of Nigerian deployment here in the 1990s when hundreds of soldiers were killed.
Fighting has halted in Monrovia since the peace deal was agreed in Ghana last month. But in the bush, gunshots still ring out and shadowy bands of fighters still spread terror, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
ECOWAS has promised around 3,250 troops. So far, Nigeria has provided around 1,500 of some 2,000 troops on the ground. There are also some 2,300 US soldiers, most on standby offshore.
Fresh troops were due to fly in this week, with 150 Gambians scheduled to arrive later Monday and some 550 soldiers from Guinea Bissau expected over the next couple of days.