Which side are you on?

By K. Abdullai Kamara

While Liberia could not reach the finals of the African Cup of Nations, Liberians are nonetheless a major part of the continental football festivities, as can be seen by wide, open and empty streets during the mid afternoon, followed by widespread jubilation in favor of one country or another during the early evening, whenever the games are played. Passion is quite high, as you would see before, during and after the matches.

If one passes around certain communities, you see clear, passionate and festive signs of support activities. This colorful solidarity is reflected by loud, widespread, noisy and sometimes violent arguments about one side or cream of players being better than others, as well as the wanton display of colors, showing support for one side or another.

Aside from turning out in huge numbers to watch the games at nearby video clubs or in neighbors’ residences, hundreds of fans wear home-designed t-shirts and flaunt colors of their sides. You should not be surprised to see flags of opposing teams - Ghana and Guinea; Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire - floating from the same post or resting on the same roof. On a typical game day, a visit to Old Road, Logan Town, Red Light, Duala, West Point, or even down town Monrovia, will show you that the games are as live in Monrovia, as they are around Ghana. Passionate and aggressive fan activities are also replicated outside Monrovia, in towns as diverse as Gbarnga, Kakata, Ganta, Zwedru and elsewhere across the country.

If you would ask which teams are supported around Liberia, I would say all. But on a more analytic note, you would realize that the sides with the biggest supports are those with players from the leading European clubs. In this realm, you would see widespread support for Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, or Senegal. By this, you can imagine the fans are thinking of El Hadj Diouf, Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Yaya & Kolo Toure, Michael Essien, Mikel Obi, Frederic Kanoute or El Hadj Diouf. Other greats like Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo are absent, though.

Supports are also shown by the communities present in Liberia. If you think of the Fula traders, Fanti Fishermen and Nigerian traders and soldiers, you should imagine that Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria have huge fan bases. Adding to these, Cote d’Ivoire, you would recall these as the countries which hosted the largest chunks of Liberian refugees during the years of war.

At the end of each 90-minutes of plays, then you know that these fans are really crazy about their sides. In some communities there are long parades extolling their victory as being the result of hardwork and talent, while downplaying the others as being "fee-see" and not worth being at the cup. After a recent match involving one of the neighboring countries, the victors sang, "you nah wan see us, you will feel it." On another occasion, the victors sang, "no more Fula bread, we want Fanti bread."

Though the bulk of these fans do not hail from these countries, they only exemplify what we all perceive as a united African continent. While thousands have paid hard earned fares to watch the games on site, millions of others are sharing the joy, thousand of miles away through the magic of technology. In effect, the love of football (sports in a general sense) is breaking down barriers and providing an opportunity for people of all age and diversities to come together.

Taking sides with other Africans brings forth a form of love that we envision would eventually bring all Africans together under a common body politic. Blyden, Nkrumah, Garvey, DuBois, Padmore and other pan-Africanists should have thought out football as the vehicle through which the dream of a common African body politic would be organized. Despite this optimism, I wonder what each of us are thinking on a personal and non-football level? As recent as last week the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) was protesting the manhandling of its staff by Beninoise immigration personnel, as they were traveling to Ouagadougou for an ECOWAS summit. All of these are happening despite an ECOWAS protocol that permits West African citizens to stay within other West African states for up to 90 days without notice. Even at that, immigration officers from Liberia to Cote d’Ivoire, or even Sierra Leone would easily ask you "how long are you staying?," when they should simply grant you the 90 days, until further notice.

Beyond that, richer North African states and South Africa are very terse about visa requirements for other Africans. If one imagine the headache faced in other African countries, relative to immigration, work permit and other regulations, you start you wonder if we are really serious about African integration. we tend to be too sensitize to the limits imposed upon us by colonial boundaries!

For now, we will watch the games, shout up and down about one team or another, and fold up after the trophy is snatched by one side or another. Thereafter, the Sudanese and Zambian will be asked to justify while he stayed one day beyond his "visa." Also, the Ivorian will detain the Sierra Leonean for traveling after hours, even though that very African had traveled to Ghana to cheer "les Elephants". In the same vein, the immigration chief at the Liberian border will lock up the Fula businessman for crossing over "illegally," from Guinea, though this very Immigration was a "Guinea man" during the tournament.

So far for the politics, and now the teams I support. My sides have been selected more because of proximity, and not necessarily because of exile status. To that effect, the nearest countries to Liberia in the contest are Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire. The next consideration is how near are we to each other? From Cote d’Ivoire, Liberian language groups that are also across the border are – Krahn, Grebo and Gio, bordering Grand Gedeh, Nimba, River Gee and Maryland. From Guinea, the groups are Mandingo, Kpelle, Lorma, Kissi and Mano, crossing as much counties as Lofa, Bong and Nimba.

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K. Abdullai Kamara is a Media, ICT & Peace Building Specialist; a Human Rights, Democracy & Development Advocate; and an Expert on Liberian Affairs (socio-political, cultural, historical & geographic). He lives in Monrovia and works with the Liberia Media Project.

Monitor Newspaper

Prince Johnson Sounds Warning

A former rebel leader in the Liberian civil war has made a radical statement in Monrovia relative to his role during the country’s protracted bloody civil conflict. The former leader of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) the warring faction that captured and executed President Samuel Kanyon Doe at the Free Port of Monrovia made the statement a week into the ongoing Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.

Nimba County Senior Senator Prince Johnson, highly regarded as a key player in the Liberian conflict said he is not a warlord. The former rebel leader has though labelled himself as a true revolutionary or freedom fighter.

“I’m not a warlord”. I’m a revolutionary”. I’m a true freedom fighter who took the humanitarian needs of the Liberia people at heart. I fought to take over the Freeport to supply food to the nation.” “Even in Gbarnga I fed people with rice.” “In Bong Mines I fed people with food.”

Senator Johnson said his participation in the struggle to oust a sitting regime was a true fight back.

“So, if I came to this Country (Liberia) in 1989 to remove a dictatorial system, oppressive, repressive, suppressive system, which massacred my people and all other sympathizers. The Liberian people who sympathized with Nimba people were slaughtered here in this Country in cold blood, especially by loyalists of the Doe regime. They were people plying vehicles in Monrovia with the inscription “death squad” all over the place. There were times one could see headless bodies of Nimbaians in this Country.”

The Nimba County lawmaker said there was no need for him to overemphasize the many massacres in Liberia. He named the JFK massacre, Lutheran Church Massacre, Grey Stone Compound massacre, Carter Camp massacre and those massacres being unearthed at the public hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The statement by Senator Johnson follows “continuous calls” by TRC authorities asking him to appear voluntarily for public hearings as in the case of Evangelist Joshua Gblayee (Gen. Butt Naked).

He vowed not to take the stand at the TRC public hearings willingly because in his words he is totally against its activities in Liberia. “I’m not in favor of the TRC I’ve warned the TRC commissioners never to call me again for public hearings.”

Senator Johnson said he is not a perpetrator of the war in Liberia but a defender. “A liberation war is not a civil war, where you just go revenge; where tribes are involved. I didn’t come to fight the krahn men, I came to fight the system and whoever backed the system I dealt with them militarily on the combat field. I want people to understand.”

Senator Johnson said he did not remember doing anything wrong during his so-called liberation or freedom struggle. But he said his struggle targeted his enemies-that is those his movement was fighting against.

Senator Prince Y. Johnson is on record for capturing and murdering the late president Samuel Doe. He later wrote the Doe family expressing his regret for the death of Doe.

Senator Johnson predicted a war crime tribunal in Liberia following the activities of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

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From the January 24, 2007 edition of the Monitor Newspaper

Monitor Newspaper

Vahun Reconnects to the Rest of Lofa

The construction of the major bridge linking Vahun District to the rest of Lofa County has been completed enabling direct access to the district for the first time in 14 years. The Vahun is about 62km from Kolahun and has a population of about 24,000 with 56 towns and villages.

UNHCR directly accessed the area on 16 January 2008 to conduct protection monitoring, including community needs assessment. During the mission to Vahun, the UNHCR team observed the need for support to the district office and was presented with requests for assistance in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment.

The bridge that cut off Vahun from the rest of Lofa County.

Vahun District has lagged behind in terms of economy recovery initiatives and other interventions due to the problem of inaccessibility, but given the above positive development, protection monitoring and other humanitarian and development activities are expected to be enhanced in that part of the country soon and recovery efforts strengthened in the near future.

Direct link to Vahun District will bring about enhanced efforts of stakeholders and humanitarian partners to fill existing gaps in the various sectors wanting in that part of the country, including health, shelter, education, water and sanitation, empowerment and economic activities as well as the rule of law.

Prior to the completion of this bridge, UNHCR accessed the district through Sierra Leone including to carry out the just ended repatriation program. With support from the Swiss Government, UNHCR embarked on the Kolahun-Vahun road rehabilitation project last year as it was one of the major repatriation axes.

UNHCR also collaborated with other UN agencies and the government of Liberia to carry out other major roads rehabilitation in Lofa County including the Voinjama-Foya road. Improved road condition increased repatriation movement to these areas and reduced the repatriation travel time.
UNHCR contracted the services of private companies to carry out the Kolahun-Vahun road project. The SSF Company was involved in the road repair and culverts installation on the Kolahun-Vahun road section while the REDES Company took part in the rehabilitation of the Vahun major bridge over the Mawah River, which is about 5 minutes drive into Vahun Town, according to an UNHCR release issued in Monrovia recently.

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Monitor Newspaper (January 24, 2007)

Monitor Newspaper

Vahun Reconnects to the Rest of Lofa

The construction of the major bridge linking Vahun District to the rest of Lofa County has been completed enabling direct access to the district for the first time in 14 years. The Vahun is about 62km from Kolahun and has a population of about 24,000 with 56 towns and villages.

UNHCR directly accessed the area on 16 January 2008 to conduct protection monitoring, including community needs assessment. During the mission to Vahun, the UNHCR team observed the need for support to the district office and was presented with requests for assistance in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment.

The bridge that cut off Vahun from the rest of Lofa County.

Vahun District has lagged behind in terms of economy recovery initiatives and other interventions due to the problem of inaccessibility, but given the above positive development, protection monitoring and other humanitarian and development activities are expected to be enhanced in that part of the country soon and recovery efforts strengthened in the near future.

Direct link to Vahun District will bring about enhanced efforts of stakeholders and humanitarian partners to fill existing gaps in the various sectors wanting in that part of the country, including health, shelter, education, water and sanitation, empowerment and economic activities as well as the rule of law.

Prior to the completion of this bridge, UNHCR accessed the district through Sierra Leone including to carry out the just ended repatriation program. With support from the Swiss Government, UNHCR embarked on the Kolahun-Vahun road rehabilitation project last year as it was one of the major repatriation axes.

UNHCR also collaborated with other UN agencies and the government of Liberia to carry out other major roads rehabilitation in Lofa County including the Voinjama-Foya road. Improved road condition increased repatriation movement to these areas and reduced the repatriation travel time.
UNHCR contracted the services of private companies to carry out the Kolahun-Vahun road project. The SSF Company was involved in the road repair and culverts installation on the Kolahun-Vahun road section while the REDES Company took part in the rehabilitation of the Vahun major bridge over the Mawah River, which is about 5 minutes drive into Vahun Town, according to an UNHCR release issued in Monrovia recently.

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Monitor Newspaper (January 24, 2007)

Monitor Newspaper

US$5,000 Bribery Case Heats Up:
Witnesses Flown Abroad
13 Lawmakers to Face Probe?

As investigation into the alleged US$5,000 deal which led to the removal of Edwin M. Snowe as Speaker of the House of Representatives intensifies, latest reports available to The Monitor have revealed that the two former drivers assigned to two of the lawmakers [ring leaders] in executing the plan have confessed to the International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL) and a panel of European Union and the United States investigators currently carrying out preliminary investigation into the bribery scandal at the first branch of the Liberian government.

The reports said the two drivers were assigned with the two lawmakers on that night of the operations “to handle the physical cash” by their respective bosses. According to them, they drove upon the instruction of a former minister of government to take delivery of the “huge quantity of the United States dollars” for distribution among the lawmakers for Snowe’s removal.

Our sources quoted the two drivers, who are currently out of the country, as saying, after the two legislators (names not disclosed) collected the money, they began to ask each other,” the deal is done, but who do we have to replace this young man”? “My man, one of us is capable of becoming speaker, we only need to support each other in the process,” they were quoted as saying.

According to our investigation, the two lawmakers hailed from opposing political parties.

Sources in the corridors of power who begged for anonymity hinted our reporter that the Unity Party and some members of the House had earlier planned to expel Representatives Saa Richard Gborllie of Margibi County and Samuel Bondo of Bong County for going public that “each of them received US$5,000 to commit themselves to the fight to remove House Speaker Edwin Snowe.”

But again, that plan was abandoned following reported threats by the two lawmakers to open up on the entire bribery issue in the media should there be any attempt by a group or group of individuals to expel them from that august body.

According to our sources, the two drivers alleged that the entire bribery investigation may tie around 13 lawmakers and Representatives Gbollie and Bondo may be used as witnesses in the investigation.

The two Representatives in their statement at the time expressed concern about the source of the “huge funds” being spread around, because according to them, their colleagues did not have such huge sum of money to dish out.

Representatives Gbollie and Bondo told newsmen at the time that “the purpose of taking the money was primarily to serve as evidence to reveal the undemocratic and dubious plans by some officials of this government which could undermine the peace and stability we now enjoy.”

Two lawmakers ended their challenge by withdrawing their signatures from the resolution, on grounds that they were “coerced to do that in a fraudulent manner.”

However, in a recent interview on a local radio, two-time contender for the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Edward Forh welcomed the calls by U.S. Ambassador Donald Booth and others for an independent investigation into the bribery case.

He was one of those accused of taking bribe to remove Snowe. Forh once battled Snowe for the speaker post.

It was reported in the media recently that two experts from the United States of America (USA) were in the country at the invitation of the US Embassy, the European Union (EU) and International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL) to carry out exclusive interrogation into the bribery scam.

The (ICGL) and United States Ambassador accredited to Liberia Donald Booth insisted on an in depth investigation into widespread allegation of “money changing hands” for the removal of Edwin Snowe.

When the Co-Chair of the ICGL, Ghanaian Ambassador to Liberia Major/General Francis Adu-Amanfoh was contacted Wednesday to comment on the latest preliminary investigation, our reporter was informed that the Ambassador was out of the country.

But a source closed to the ICGL maintained that the group has not abandoned it quest for an independent investigation in the US$5,000 bribery scam.

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Published with the permission of the Monitor Newspaper (January 24, 2007 edition)

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