The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
March 25, 2019

The Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA), condemns in no uncertain terms the violent disruption of its anniversary program on Saturday, March 23, 2019, by a group of armed thugs led by Mohammed Kamara, President of the Liberian National Students Union (LINSU).

MOJA is indeed appalled by the nonchalant attitude displayed by the Police when contacted to intervene. The Movement for Justice in Africa observes that there is a growing pattern of political violence and lawless behavior by criminal elements widely believed to be under the sponsorship of officials of this government.

In this regard, MOJA calls on the Justice Minister to conduct a probe into this matter as it is becoming increasingly clear that charges of bias and partisanship displayed by the Police in the discharge of their duties to protect life are indeed well founded given the experience of last Saturday, March 23, 2019.

The Movement for Justice in Africa, while resolving never ever to submit to the armed intimidation of criminal elements, calls on all its militants, supporters, sympathizers, and well-wishers to remain calm and maintain the peaceful demeanor demonstrated in the face of the unprovoked violence during its 46th-anniversary program in Monrovia.

The Movement for Justice in Africa reminds perpetrators of such mindless violence that violence only begets violence and that their attempts to return to the ugly and violent history of this nation’s past is but an exercise in futility because the Liberian people will never again bend their knees in submission to bloodthirsty individuals and would be warlords.

In this regard, the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA) calls on the international community especially the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mano River Union (MRU) the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and the government of the United States of America to prevail on the Government of Liberia to take urgent steps to arrest the situation and prevent the nation from sliding back into violent conflict.

It started when members, supporters, sympathizers, and well-wishers had peacefully assembled in the auditorium of the G. W. Gibson High School of the program. The program was arranged as part of the reorganization process of the Movement and it was intended for sober reflection on the past as the organization prepared itself for the tasks ahead.

Several guests had been invited as panelists to discuss the topic “The Economy, Corruption and Justice System in Liberia.” But barely an hour into its Anniversary Program, the auditorium was invaded by a group of armed thugs led by a Mohammed Kamara, President of the Liberia National Students Union (LINSU).

They contended that they had the right to invade the hall and disrupt the program since the MOJA Anniversary organizers did not include them as discussants or panelists but rather invited others. Attempts by stalwarts of MOJA and invitees to dissuade from their violent behavior proved fruitless.

 It appeared they were clearly on a mission as intelligence reports suggest, to harm certain targeted MOJA comrades, particularly MOJA Interim Chairman Tiawan Gongloe and Martin K. N. Kollie futile as they were seen with stones or machetes.

The incident occurred after MOJA’s Interim Chairman Comrade Tiawan Saye Gongloe welcome statement and Comrade John H. T. Stewart was midway into the delivery of MOJA’s history in the presence of MOJA’s Founding Chairman, Comrade Togba Nah-Tipoteh; stalwarts Conmany B. Wesseh, Alice Johnson Kromah, J. Yanqui Zaza, Aletha Manning, Moses Vankpannah among others, as well as invitees from the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), Inter-religious Council of Liberia (IRCL), Center for the Promotion of Intellectual Development (CENPID), Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinion (CEIO), Friend of friends Hatai Association (FOFHA), Press Union of Liberia (PUL), Small Town Social and Athletics Club International among others.

Mohammed Kamara and his band of thugs dressed in blue, red and white t-shirts with the inscription written in the front: “LINSU” without any fear of seniority as is practiced in our African culture and traditions and under the guise of LINSU seized the podium and disrupted MOJA Anniversary program to the disbelief of stalwarts and well-wishers including the media that had gathered to honor MOJA on its 46th Anniversary.
The Liberian National Police was contacted but show no interest to arrest the situation. One wonders why this strange behavior of the police whose responsibility is to protect peaceful citizens? This reluctance on the part of the police suggests their knowledge not to stop any disruption of the MOJA Anniversary Program.

MOJA wishes to call on the government of Mr. George M. Weah to stop the unprovoked attack on the democracy in Liberia that MOJA has sole tirelessly and relentlessly fought to build and nurture through which the people of Liberia now enjoy their basic democratic freedoms that should go on unhindered and uninterrupted.

Further MOJA warns LINSU to desist from acts of counter-productive to democratic norms. Let it be clear that as a student movement, it is very important to ensure that the tenets of participatory democracy are adhere to then to be a stooge of those that are not interested in democratic engagement.

MOJA does not wish to call on the government to investigate itself for shooting itself in its own legs with the sole intent to reverse the democratic gains in Liberia which MOJA and other democratic-minded Liberians supported by well-meaning friends of Liberia in the international system.

The Movement wishes to caution the Liberian government to engage into acts that will sustain the peace, justice, security and basic freedom in Liberia as well as engender dynamics democratic development and economic growth instead of roaming around looking for fuss or confusion which will not or cannot help him.

Singed_______________
           Throble Kaffa Suah
        Interim Secretary General
Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA)
231-778-029-496/231-886-589-959