Liberians Fleeing Again

By A. Alvin Winford

As if their mother land was cursed that wars would always befall it, which unfold themselves into untold suffering, agony and despair; thousands of Liberians have once again taken unto their heels as fighting intensifies between Government forces and rebels of the Liberia United for Reconcilation and Democracy (LURD).

It can be recalled vividly that between 1989-97, more than 250,000 Liberians lost their lives during Liberia`s worst nightmare. That war left every fibre of the country in ruins as households are now barely surviving on less than US$ 1.00 per day, far below the poverty belt. The main rebel leader then, Charles Taylor shocked the world when he convincibly whipped twelve other top notch politicians with more than 75 per cent of the votes, during the 1997 elections that seemingly brought an end to the seven year old carnage. International monitors rated the elections as free, fair and transparent.

Just as Liberians began to bury the arches of the war by putting their lives back in order, a new war was violently unleashed on them in April 1999 by embittered Liberians who claim that the Taylor Government had reneged on its campaign promises. They further charged that the government was practising bad governance and undemocratic tenets.

Taylor squarely blames neighboring Guinea for backing the dissidents to unseat him. Since 1999, the war has now uprooted three counties, viz the largest province and bread basket Lofa County, the newly created and timber riched Gbarpolu County and the former mining area of Bomi County. More than three times the rebels have been beaten back ,without much success. Yet they continue to remain adamant in their quest to violently dethrone their number one foe, Charles Taylor.

Little by little, they have been pushing towards Monrovia, seemingly without the citizenry being gravely petrified. But the latest skirmishes between the battling forces at the Klay Junction in Bomi County, just few miles from Monrovia have sent shock waves down the spines of war wearied Liberians as the rebels threathen that they will reach Monrovia at all cost. For residents of Lofa, Gbarpolu and Bomi Counties, the best option was to troop closer to Monrovia ,which now appears as the only safe haven.

For those who could not find their way to the city center, they managed to seek refuge on the campus of the Baptist owned Ricks Institute in Virginia and the compound of the former Voice of America in Brewerville.

Still for others who were apprehensive about reaching Monrovia, joined their Sierra Leonean counterparts who have been stationed in Singje, in Cape Mount County; to move closer to the Sierra Leonean border. But several of them were disiappointed at the Bo Waterside crossing point. Sierra Leonean immigration officers were demanding LD$50.00(US$1.00) as a token per Liberian refuge to cross over.

Already indigent and hopeless, several of them were left stranded, until the political authority from Freetown intervened. As that was being settled, authorities in Freetown are complaining that there is scarcity of food and medicine to cope with the increasing humanitarian situation resulting from the influx of Liberian refugees in the region. It must be pointed out that Sierra Leone too, is yet to fully graduate from the brunt of its civil conflict, although disarmament supervised by UN peace keepers has ended.

All the same, those who found their way at Ricks and the VOA compound, the story of suffering , wailing and yearning for a better tomorrow is identical. Inmates are emaciated. Their plight is dehumanizing. Sleeping on bare floor with no blanket, their fate is uncertain.

``I can`t understand why Liberians will continue to bring war on us again. We are already suffering in the country. The war will only dampen our hope. Just imaginge for four days, I walked in the bushes to come here without eating. We have no where to sleep. They just want to kill us for nothing``, a forty year old farmer who was forced to leave his farmland explained, admidst deep sobs, being surrounded by his family of five.

Although UN agencies are striving to provide emergency rations for the displaced, it is not likely that the humanitarian crisis can be dealt with, immediately. From one family to another, th experiences are similar. The expressions signal nothing less than doom. Painfully too, some family members have registered complaints that they can not locate their children. They might have been separated during the flight for lives. Save the Children UK-Liberia is striving to reunite lost children with their parents.

The humanitrian crisis did not go unnoticed by a visiting senior member of the UN Humanitarian Committee, Ross Mountain who is accessing the plight of of over 60,000 displaced persons. Mountain, who had earlier worked with the UN World Food Program during the hey days of the previous Liberian civil conflict wantsthe international community to forego differences with the Liberian government and reach out to aid thedisplaced people.

For the few persons who can afford the cost begun leaving the country by road. At the Dula and Paynesville parking lots, the privileged fews can be seen riding buses for U.S.$ 100, per person to Ghana via Ivorycoast, while theimpoverished on lookers stand by in complete unbelief, awe and longing, as their compatriots leave for“Paradise“, while they stay to face the unknown, as war rages on.

As the war appears to close up on Monrovia, President Charles Taylor faced with an UN armed embargo and sanctions ,stemming against his alleged involvement in gun runningand diamond smuggling in Sierra Leone, declared a state of emergency in consonance with Article 86 of the Liberian Constitution. The article gives the power the president to declare a state of emergency in consultation with the Speaker and President Pro Tempore of the National Legislature when the security of the state is threatened. He has since explained the cause prompting thedeclaration of the state o f emergency to theLegislature. Already, signals are clear that the Legislature will give its full backing to the declaration of the stateof emergency, in order for the government to fully handle the menace.

During the state of emergency, the constitution guarantees the fundamental rights of individuals. But already the National Human Rights Center,a consortium of local human rights organizations has reported that the rights of some innocent individuals were tramped upon , when the government launched a search for rebels who might have infiltrated into some partsof Monrivia. The Human Rights Center cautioned security officers to exercise the highest degree of professionalism and caution, in dealing with innocent civilians, so as to avoid being antagonized by the civilian populace.

On the other hand, reports reaching Monrovia unravel that one Mehn Tobo`s lie was cut off by the invading rebels when he failed to provide them intelligence in the Klay area. This has further petrified the perturbed populace. Towns and villages are also being burnt in this latest `` liberation`` war as lives and valuable properties are being claimed.

At the same time, government has assured that the contested towns of Klay and Tubmanburg have been recaptured by government troops. The Ministry of Information reveals that the war is now being fought as far as Bopolu, the provincial capital of Gbarpolu County, some one hundred and seventy miles from Monrovia.

Although, the rebels admit that government has retaken Klay and Tubmanburg, they however, maintain that their withdrawal was a tactical one to protect civilians. They have further vowed that they will not put a halt to the madness unless Taylor resigns.

Skirmishes are also being heard of in the Bong Mines area Central Liberia. This has prompted hundreds of refugees to painfully walk towards Monrovia in the last two days.

There are several schools of thought as to how the Liberian situation can be resolved. For the leader of the Liberian People`s Party flag bearer, Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh and his likes, the way forward is for ECOWAS to mediate between the government and rebels. Tipoteh was the first to outrightly disagree with Taylor for declaring the state of emergency.

The rebels are calling for a replacement of the Taylor government with an interim government. Sekou Konneh self style commander of LURD forces has declared his intentions to head such arrangement. Interestingly, too, Dr. Amos Sawyer former interim president and the man who chaired the 1984 Constitution Commission, has been crusading in the international communtity for an interim arrangement.

There are others who are adamant that gone are the days for armed groups to shoot their way to state power. They are calling on the rebels to lay down their arms , transform their struggle and gear up for the 2003 elections.

For Taylor, he has unwaveringly stated that under no condition as a democratically elected president, will he succumb to the wishes of terrorists (he calls the rebels terrorists). ``We don`t negotiate with terrorists``, he thundered.

Whatever the view may be, one thing is succintly clear; innocent , impoverished and war wearied Liberians are paying the harsh, painful price.

End