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As The Terror Machine
Rolls (Editorial)
Over100 armed men, members of President Taylor's standing Army
of Terror, this week attacked former interim president Dr. Amos
Sawyer and his Executive Director Mr. Commany Wesseh. The two
men were severely beaten and robbed. Their offices were thoroughly
looted. Several other workers were injured.
Former President, Aide
Escape Death
Liberia's former interim president, Dr. Amos Sawyer and his Executive
Director in charge of the Center for Democratic Empowerment narrowly,
escaped death on Tuesday after over 100 former fighters loyal
to President Charles Taylor attacked their office, according
to reports.
All Is Not
Lost (Editorial)
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has concluded its regular elections.
The process was marred by the Government's crusade to confiscate
the Union through infusion of money to elect its propagandists
in key positions. This would have transformed this credible institution
into its pathetic mouthpiece, thus rendering it useless.
"No Belgrade
Here"
The echoes and ripples of dictators crumbling under the weight
of unarmed mass of angry protestors are being felt and feared
in many countries operating on fear and brutality. Relying on
"security forces" as protectors of their "democracy,"
dictators now face the menacing option of mowing down hundreds
of thousands of people demanding their exit for better life.
Digging in for Diamonds
That diamonds are forever is indeed a terrible omen haunting
Sierra Leone as key actors in its tragedy dig in their heels
to control these stones of sorrows and impose their will. If
international opinion yields to now orchestrated demands from
Liberia, Nigeria and the rebels for the imposition of an "African
Solution", the country's bloody war, with thousands of amputated
children as its trademark, may last forever. Evil will again
emerge triumphant.
The Crucial
Road Ahead
Liberia's tortuous road to peace and stability is once again
made more uncertain by repeated military attacks launched by
dissatisfied and marginalized groups and the regime's lack of
interest in reconciling the deep wounds and scars left by the
war. Intolerance and arrogance of power have become dangerous
tools in the hands of a government believing in violence as political
virtue.
Clampdown on
Liberians in Ivory Coast
Authorities in the Ivory Coast have reportedly begun arresting
Liberians in the border town of Danane, according to reports
reaching The Perspective. According to the report, not yet independently
confirmed, about 13 refugees have been arrested so far.
Opposition Parties
Collaborate to Stem "Presidential Syndrome"
The 2003 General and Presidential elections in Liberia will be
a critical test that will determine whether the country will
continue on its current path, or breakaway and begin to establish
the democratic foundations for building a new society.
Liberian Rebels in the President's Heartland
The Liberian Government says it has beaten back rebels who attacked
in eastern Nimba County on Monday, but a man claiming to be a
rebel spokesman says they control a large area of the north of
the county.
Africa's Sad
Comfort Over US Polls
Africa's apologists of political anarchy and electoral fraud
are reeling with thrill over the current row in the controversial
US elections. "See, we are not alone. No elections are perfect,"
is the new absurdity circulated to compare tyrants forced into
elections against their will with a system withstanding its resiliency.
The Liberian
Senate's Feuding "Criminals"
Crime and politics have become Siamese twins in Liberia. The
criminal past is a burden that few of its new rulers cannot deny
no matter how hard they try. The country's President, Charles
Taylor, is a fugitive who escaped from an American prison to
avoid extradition on a $900,000 theft charge.
Americans Have
Been Here Before
The just ended American presidential election is being described
as a messy, embarrassing, immature behavior that is not a reflection
of a quotidian democratic practice.
Nigerian
"Medicine" for Sierra Leone
Some camaraderie with ominous regional implications is emerging
amongst the Nigerian military establishment, Sierra Leone's ruthless
RUF rebels, and their Liberian kingpin Charles Taylor against
Britain's firm involvement in ending the decade old Sierra Leone
war.
"The Plague"
of the British Empire
Liberia's President Charles Taylor, issuing his now customary
denial of backing Sierra Leone rebels while on his "annual"
health trip to Paris, announced to the world that his people
are dying and need help from outside.
"Elections
and Erosion of Stability in Africa"
Except for a few notable stars, nearly all Africa is consumed
in civil conflicts, many of them born out of that all-embracing
panacea of all political problems---the soothing but ineffective
medicine of African elections.
A Cultural Legacy
of False Starts
If history is any guide to understanding the genesis of a country
and its direction, how it has been able to overcome major national
concerns on questions such as ethnicity, reconciliation and national
unity, the Liberian experience leaves much to be desired or appreciated.
The Need for
a Giant United Front for Freedom
When the 1997 general and presidential elections were concluded
to settle a power contest resulting from a near-decade gruesome
war, many Liberians and observers believed they provided an opportunity
for a new beginning for a country plagued with chronic injustices
and therefore instability since its founding.
Liberians
Set for Taylor Arrest Warrant
A Liberian US-based pro-democracy group, the Liberian Democratic
Future, says it is finalizing plans to institute an international
arrest warrant against President Charles Taylor for his alleged
execution of a number of prominent Liberian politicians and pro-democracy
activists, along with alleged crimes against humanity.
Sierra Leone's New
Circus of Tragedy
The Sierra Leone circus of tragedy is again in full swing. A
ceasefire has been signed and many people are jumping with joy
only to sit in despair later. If the celebrated Lome Agreement,
backed by London, Washington and the UN, ended in Hell, the current
Abuja ceasefire agreement is likely to give Sierra Leone a President
Foday Sankoh...
Where is
Gen. Guei?
As Ivorians mourn over 500 people killed during election violence
weeks ago, the whereabouts of their Gen. Robert Guei is still
unclear. But there are indications that the ousted military dictator
may be in Liberia.
Liberians Ready to
Oppose Taylor
Liberians in the United States and other parts of the world will
meet on December 2, 2000, to map out strategies for challenging
President Charles Taylor's grip on power in 2003 when the next
election will be held.
The Human Rights
Tragedy under Taylor's Rule
By many accounts, there has been no marked improvement in the
area of human rights since Mr. Taylor assumed power a little
over three years ago. Despite many promises to the citizenry
that he would govern respecting the rights of each and every
citizen, Taylor's record on human rights remain dismal, and leaves
much to be desired.
Carter's
Sad Liberia Goodbye
Finally, former US President Jimmy Carter, the man who promised
Liberians that human rights abuses under Charles Taylor were
"inconceivable", has reneged on his promise three years
after, charging instead...
Clinton's Second
African Safari
When President Bill Clinton went on his first African safari
in 1998 The Perspective gave a sober analysis of this junket
and objectively concluded that it will amount to nothing. Alas,
27 months later, Clinton has gone on another African safari.
Blames & Blunders:
Combing Kromah's Claims
The Liberian conflict left innumerable and indelible scars on
many, and continues to inflict more ghastly wounds. Key actors
in this saga of horrors are grappling with their past and present
deeds in transforming this country, founded and ruled by freed
American slaves since 1822 as their land of liberty, into a pathetic
state, a world pariah.
Carter Center
Shuts Down Liberia Operation
ATLANTA, GA..The Carter Center has closed down its office in
Liberia, where it worked for a decade to advance peace, human
rights, and democracy.
Alhaji Kromah's
"Distortions": Some Clarifications
I read Mr. Alhaji Kromah's interview with The Perspective and
was astonished with how the truth can be distorted, misconstrued
and taken out of context.
In Liberia,
"The Path To Democracy Remains Elusive"
In our collective quest for solutions to Liberia's social, economic
and political problems, the Union of Liberian Associations in
the Americas (ULAA) has taken actions to engage the Taylor Government
and the international community for the relative improvement
of the situation in Liberia and the West African sub-region.
Opting for Refuge
over "Honour"
The coveted dream jobs in Africa for which wars are waged and
societies sent in flames----the presidency and accompanying ministerial
posts----are becoming a burden in Liberia, where ministers are
preferring American refugee-life over their ministerial appointments.
The Curse of
Diamonds and Destabilization (EDITORIAL)
President Clinton, barring Liberian officials and their families
from entering the United States, made it clear that the United
States was taking the action because Liberia has not shown any
indication of change towards Sierra Leone's rebel Revolutionary
United Front (RUF).
Taylor Accused of
Corruption and Failure
Since the 1997 elections in Liberia that brought Charles Taylor
to power, Liberian opposition figures have been living in fear.
Some have been killed, while others are languishing in prison
on fabricated treason charges.
Baa Salaka: Sacrificial
Lamb
The writing of novels is rather new to the Liberian
literary genre. Except for "Murder in the Cassava Patch,"
a Liberian literary classic, there aren't many others that can
be grouped or classified as Liberian literature, or for that
matter, constituting a literary tradition.
Liberia's
Mercenary Virus and Ivory Coast
Now, what is becoming Liberia's most vital export --- mercenaries
for destabilization ----are reported active in the Ivory Coast,
the country whose blessings enabled Charles Taylor's rebel National
Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) to spark West Africa's ongoing
disintegration.
"Gold Medal"
For The Perspective
The growth of The Perspective reminds one of an old Liberian
story about Ear and Mosquito. As the story goes, Mosquito once
asked Ear for a date. But Ear found the request hilarious and
felt insulted.
Bush's Message to His
"Bushmen"
Africa's obsession with the defeating notion that the United
States of America holds the keys in solving the Continent's multiplying
catastrophes may soon come to rest if George W. Bush captures
the American presidency.
Charles Taylor's
Fatal Sierra Leone Dance
Despite all the wrangling and denials, Liberia's role in Sierra
Leone horrors is being established. And gradually, world political
actors troubled by Sierra Leone's unending terror have come to
accept the bare truth that peace in that sad country lies in
Liberia, nowhere else.
Liberians
Attacked in Abidjan, Mercenaries Reported
Reports of Liberian mercenary involvement in the ongoing
crisis in the Ivory Coast are emerging.
Gen. Guei's Ignoble
Escape
Africa is awakening. An era has ended. Truly, the time of the
people has come. Devoid of client masters, Africa's dictators
have been left on their own to face the wrath of their people.
The Ivory Coast's day of history is a warning to all thieves
dependent on the gun as their protector to take note. Gone are
the days when intimidation was a convenient political tool.
Vulgar Nationalism:
the Refuge of a Scoundrel
The vitriol unleashed by our pseudo-nationalists in Liberia over
the treatment meted out to Liberian refugees in Guinea would
have been comical had it not been for the plight of our compatriots
who have been in camps in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, La Cote
d'Ivoire and Guinea for the past ten years.
Government Reportedly
Incited Ethnic Violence
Ethnic violence and atrocities that characterized the Liberian
civil war have resurfaced with the alleged complicity of President
Charles Taylor, according to informed sources in Nimba County,
the scene of recent clashes between Mandingoes and Gio-Mano tribesmen.
Alhaji Kromah: Disappointments
and Denials
The Perspective presents an all-encompassing interview
with Alhaji G.V. Kromah, founder of the Movement for the Redemption
of Liberian Moslems during the formative days of the Liberian
horrors. The organization's announced aim was protecting Liberian
Moslems persecuted by Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front
of Liberia (NPFL) at the height of the Liberian war
Living with Paranoia
The fascinating aspect of today's Liberian politics is its unorthodoxy
and glaring contradictions. Back in 1992, rebel chief Charles
Taylor told journalists that, "Every step I took in this
war I first informed the Americans."
Libya: Dreamland
of "One Africa" Betrayed
After all the fanfare and hullabaloo of blending chaotic Africa
into the dreamy United States of Africa most likely under Col.
Muammar Gaddafi's command, reality has overcome fantasy. Thousands
of Africans living in this farcical "Mecca" of African
brotherhood have found themselves under siege, with hundreds
butchered in the wilderness of xenophobia.
Taylor says Liberian forces retake Voinjama (BBC)
President CharlesTaylor of Liberia has said his
troops have re-captured the northern town of Voinjama which has
been occupied by rebels for more than three months.
Visas, "Peanuts"
and Sovereignty
Unfolding developments between America and Liberia would have
passed for a roving circus were it not for the bandwagon of destabilization
rolling from a country many believe is the closest to an American
colony in Africa. First, the Liberians accused Washington of
violating their "sovereignty" by refusing to "develop"
their country and dishing out "peanuts" to civil groups.
Bunker Rulers
Barred from "Home"
The omen of doom, which has been lingering around Liberia since
its much-acclaimed elections, has finally settled. Angered by
their involvement in Sierra Leone diamond theft and other criminal
enterprises, the US has barred all Liberian officials, their
families, from America. This move, whatever its implications,
would have had less impact on many African countries.
President Clinton
Slams Door on Charles Taylor and Company
Yesterday, the U.S. State Department issued a press
statement "suspending the entry into the United States,
as immigrants and non-immigrants, of all persons and [their]
spouses, children, and parents of all persons - who plan, engage
in, or benefit from activities that support the Revolutionary
United Front (RUF), or that otherwise impede the peace process
in Sierra Leone."
Who Controls
Zorzor?
Confusion as to who controls Liberia's northern town of Zorzor
lingers while over 13,000 displaced people have moved towards
Gbarnga, President Taylor's wartime stronghold. A spokesman for
the dissident group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and
Democracy (LURD), said his forces are firmly in control of the
town and its surroundings while the Liberian Government claims
flushing out the dissidents.
Liberia Says
Guinea Helped Dissidents in Zorzor Attack
The situation in Lofa County is characterized by accusations
and counter-accusations by the Liberian and Guinean governments.
In a conflict that is not covered by independent reporters, the
accusations will continue for a long time.
Guinea's Dark Clouds
As Guineans celebrated Independence from France 42 years ago
on September 28, the foreboding of anarchy's dark clouds hung
over them. Incessant incursions from the twin collapsed states
of mayhem, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which have left over 300
Guineans dead and close to 30,000 displaced, sent a message to
Guineans that their dancing may be short lived as they brace
for more uncertainties.
Praying and Celebrating
Against Going Home
Celebrations by thousands of Liberian refugees in the United
States, saved from deportation to a hellish home, have been blessed
and endorsed by their President Charles Taylor.
Non-Profit
Status for Measuagoon
Measuagoon Inc. was incorporated in 1997 under the laws of the
Republic of Liberia as a not-for-profit organization dedicated
to assisting inhabitants of rural communities to improve their
quality of life.
Measuagoon:
Helping Liberian Villagers to Help Themselves
Liberia has not recovered from the misery created by the country's
seven year civil conflict. The economy and infrastructures were
ruined, with the national resources plundered by warlords and
their followers.
Ivory Coast's
Dark Alley and Its Regional Ends
Fears of La Cote d'Ivoire's inevitable political explosion, since
the Army seized power amidst euphoria for change, are finally
coming to pass. What was dubbed a "popular revolution"
by a credulous Opposition now under siege, is transforming itself
into fascist bandwagon with all its Machiavellian underpinnings.
A Liberian
Group in Minnesota Decries Conditions in Liberia
Nearly ten years ago, the masses of the Liberian people participated
in a military campaign that brought down the leadership of the
country. The government of Samuel Kanyon Doe was overthrown following
an intense resistance that claimed the lives of over two hundred
and fifty thousand people in Liberia.
Liberia
Practices "Jungle Democracy"
The Liberian government well-financed public relations campaign
designed to reinvent itself and win public sympathy amongst Liberians
here in the United States and the Diaspora has clearly fallen
on deaf ears.
Liberian Officials
Bicker Over Genesis of Horrors
Soul-searching for causes of Liberia's endless horrors continues
amongst its rulers, even after the United Nations High Commission
for Refugees (UNHCR) declares the country too dangerous to repatriate
refugees.
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