   |
|
afrol News, 27 May - On May 20, 2002 the Daily Trust of Abuja reported that President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Nigeria's President, Olusegun Obasanjo, urged the Liberian government and rebel guerrillas to reach an "immediate and unconditional cease-fire". The following day the newspaper, This Day, in Lagos reported that President Abdoulaye Wade said that troops under the West African Peacekeeping Force (ECOMOG) might intervene in Liberia if peace negotiations fail to solve the crisis in that country. Of course Charles Taylor immediately refused to join any peace talks, thus encouraging ECOMOG to send troops. In 1997 Taylor used ECOMOG in the same way, using them to maintain himself in power, and using them to carry out his bogus election by intimidation and threats. This is the same ECOWAS which violated the Abuja Accord of August 1996 by not disarming all factions in Liberia so that fair and free elections could be held. This is the same ECOWAS that assisted Charles Taylor in re-imposing a colonial regime on Liberia. ECOWAS can send as many troops they want to Liberia to support their rogue ruler, but remember this, and remember it well: We Africans-Liberians will never, ever let you live in peace. We will fight you and struggle against your occupation until Liberia is liberated, or until every last African-Liberian in the world is dead! From 1822 to 1980 our country suffered one of the longest colonial occupations in the history of Africa, the harshest form of colonial apartheid. A class, color, and cultural apartheid system that refused to recognize Africans or African culture; that resented our people’s long African heritage; that affiliated only with America, and not with Africa or anything African; that showed favor and preferential treatment to those of lighter skin; that refused African Liberians’ right to use their African names, and imposed European names on us; that forced Africans to wear short pants while the colonial oppressors wore long trousers; that in the early days forced Africans to sleep outside of Monrovia only to come in each day to do the slave work; that encouraged different groups within the country to fight each other; that sold the African Liberians as slaves to European colonial powers in Africa; that for years denied any African Liberian an education; that sent children of the colonial rulers overseas to school while denying Africans Liberians any higher educational opportunities; that did not use the natural wealth of our country, iron ore, rubber, gold, and diamonds, to develop the country, but rather took the wealth out of Africa for their own benefit; that refused business licenses to any African Liberian but brought in business men from Haiti, Lebanon, the United States, Europe, and other African countries just to prevent any African Liberian from owning any business; that operated one of the most primitive prisons at Belleh Yella which tortured and mutilated our people; that used local terror groups like the UBF and the Masons to create fear by mutilation and torture of African in Liberia; that brought in outsiders from other countries to occupy government positions, preventing African Liberians from gaining any experience in the field of government; that for years refused any African Liberian a passport to leave the country; and the crimes go on! In 1980 this system of exploitation by the settlers class came to an abrupt halt when African Liberians rebelled. Regardless of opinions relative to his presidency, one fact is not in question: Kanyon Doe was the first African President of the Republic of Liberia. This former ruling settlers class, who still lay claim to being Liberian, never apologized for their past oppression of the African people nor offered to join together to create a bicultural society where all would have equal opportunity. Instead they sprang one of their own from jail in the United States and funded his war atrocities so they could regain their privileged class and status. Charles Taylor continues to this day to be a mirror of the beliefs, conscience, and character of the entire colonial settlers group. While African Liberians were enslaved within their own country what did other West African countries do? They helped maintain and perpetuate the sick apartheid regime in Monrovia! When the Africans of Liberia rebelled in 1980, after 158 years of tyrannical rule, what did some other West African countries do? They helped fund and train a war lord who then slaughtered thousands of our people, and slaughtered a nation! Then using ECOWAS as their military arm other West African countries re-imposed the old colonial rule on our country, driving thousands upon thousands of our citizens into exile. African Liberians have a right to a democratic and peaceful society, free of war lords, occupation, and exploitation! We have often questioned why we have had to fight for these rights without any help from other Africans! You see Africa, for Liberians it is liberation, the liberation of our country, the liberation of our African soul, and the liberation of our African
culture! By Jonathan Boakai
|