Information circulating among government security forces that has filtered down the streets of Monrovia indicates that the NPP government of Mr. Charles Taylor had planned to ambush Cllr. Charles W. Brumskine and entourage en route to Buchanan where the citizens of that city eagerly await the arrival of their leader. According to information from top security circles, a band of notorious militiamen under the command of Col. Jerbo, (SOD) Assistant Director of Police for Operations had posted his militiamen on the Buchanan highway for days when it was clear that Cllr. Brumskine would travel to Buchanan. The men were posted around the Iron Bridge area where they had intended taken Brumskine and key members of his entourage to be treated like the Dokies. Daniel Chea, defense minister and a member of the Bassa tribe, was reported to be against the plan not because he cares about the life of Brumskine, his partisans and colleagues. Chea’s concern was that such action on the part of Jerbo would bring the Bassa people head on with the government of Liberia. It was from that security meeting that Chea gave a press briefing warning the people of Buchanan not to get into the streets of that city in welcoming Cllr Brumskine. He said anyone doing that would not have security guarantees.

Col. Jerbo who many in Monrovia know as one of the death squad leaders in the Taylor government is just one of the former NPFL generals who has a private militia that can be deployed in the service of the government. Jerbo is also one of the trusted lieutenants of Taylor just like Bedell Fahn (a killer of two Nigerian nationals) who only spent nine months in prison, Melvin Sorbani, the Postal Affairs minister, Benjamin Yeaten, the man responsible for so many killings including the Dokies, and Coco Dennis, are just few of the people who have personal militias that can be converted to government service upon short notice. These militiamen are thorns in the flesh of the rural population since the government of Liberia does not pay them apart from arming them.

The exposure of the attempt to ambush Brumskine and his people and eventually have them killed point to the fact that the Liberian government can't provide security for the conduct of elections. The government intentionally assisted in creating these militias as a way of keeping the society in perpetual intimidation, harassment, and wanton looting in the midst of crisis. Any question of having free, fair, and transparent elections would require that a stabilization force be placed on the ground. There is an urgent need to disarm these militias along with the LURD and other unconstitutional security establishments. Those who are opposed to democracy are the ones who continue to militarize the society with arms placed in the hands of irresponsible people including children.

Liberians who think that Mr. Taylor can provide security for the holding of free and fair elections should have a second thought. We need not to fool ourselves. This government has no commitment to the holding of free and fair transparent elections. The simple reason is that Mr. Taylor knows deep down in belly that he is not worth the votes of the Liberian people having failed them over the past five years.

The plan to get rid of Brumskine is just a classic example of how Mr. Taylor is not prepared to enter into the exchange of ideas in the democratic process. He should realize that the people of Liberia cannot be fooled again as the case was in 1997. God will always expose his evil plans.

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