United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) News

BY: UNMIL News

23 October 2008

· UN Deputy Envoy, Mr. Jordan Ryan, has assured Liberians that the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is committed to achieving the broader agenda of peace building, consolidating the rule of law, and strengthening national institutions by providing support to the Liberian government.
· Mr. Ryan made the statement when he awarded UN peacekeeping medals to 300 officers of the Ukrainian Aviation Unit for their contribution to peace and stability in Liberia. Commending the peacekeepers for their support, the UN Deputy Envoy said the peacekeepers’ contribution to UNMIL is befitting of Ukraine’s legacy in UN peacekeeping.
·“Liberia and the UN will always remember your contribution in maintaining peace and security in this country, because your deployment has ensured the safe transportation of colleagues, cargo and supplies throughout Liberia,” Mr. Ryan noted. The DSRSG paid special tribute to the Contingent Commander, Colonel Taras Shliukharchuck, under whose able leadership the officers have performed satisfactorily.
·Since their arrival in Liberia in January 2004, the members of the Ukrainian Aviation Unit have flown mission personnel and VIPs, delivered cargo, organized medical flights, and provided observation flights and air escorts to force movement totalling 27,550 flight hours.

IMF Holds Closed Door Meeting With “Embattled” President Pro-Temp
(The News, The Inquirer, The Analyst, Daily Observer)

· In the wake of leadership crisis at the Liberian Senate, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday held closed door meeting with the ‘suspended’ President Pro-tempore Isaac W. Nyenabo at the Capitol. Yesterday’s meeting between the IMF delegation and Pro-tempore Nyenabo lasted for half an hour.
·The meeting followed a letter addressed to Senator Nyenabo which was dated October 21, 2008 requesting a meeting with him at his office. The meeting was intended to discuss IMF program development and the status of debt relief.
· According to the IMF Resident Representative, Mr. Michael Tharkur, the delegation was in the country to conduct Liberia’s Article IV Consultation, and the first review of performance under the Poverty Reduction Growth Facility (PRGF). Speaking to reporters following the meeting with Senator Nyenabo Wednesday, Mr. Tharkur said discussion centered on the IMF program development and status of debt relief. The IMF Resident Representative praised the Liberian government for the tremendous efforts in its economy recovery program.

President Sirleaf Addresses White House Summit
(Daily Observer, The News, The Inquirer, The Analyst, The Informer, National Chronicle)

· The media reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called on development partners to see Liberia as a “Laboratory for Innovation”. President Sirleaf said Liberia was well on its way to rebuilding institutions of government and welcoming the return of a vibrant civil society, a dynamic market-based economy and an open press.
· She pointed out that Liberia’s progress has been possible because the country was out of conflict situation and is being seen an emerging democracy in Africa. President Sirleaf made the statement during a White House Summit on International Development on Tuesday.
· The summit was attended by U.S. President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary of State Rice, U.S. government officials and members of the diplomatic corps. Speaking on the theme “The Importance of Country Ownership and Good Governance”, the Liberian leader recalled that during the period of war, Liberia was associated with terminology like “child soldiers,” “blood diamonds” and warlords.

Liberia Battles Unemployment - Launches “Cash for Work” Employ Scheme
(The Inquirer, Daily Observer, The News, The Monitor)

· Vice President Joseph Boakai will today launch the Liberia “Cash for Work” temporary employment project.
· The project is intended to provide income support to vulnerable households in rural and urban areas.
· Under the project 17,000 persons will be employed for a period of two months over a two year period nationwide.
·The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment(LACE) is to implement the project
· A release said beneficiaries of the project are expected to engage in simple work in response to the needs of their communities.
· Government and the World Bank signed an agreement in June this year to support Liberia in response to the global food price crisis.

Africa Will Have It Tough Under Obama – Two U.S. Resource Personnel Predict
(The News)

· Two American resource personnel have predicted that Africa will have it very tough under the Democratic Party’s candidate Barack Obama’s presidency. “It will not be all love, love; it will be tough love (for Africa)”, they said. Journalist Eduardo Cue, a stringer correspondent for the U.S. News and World Report and Steven Rudy Ekovich, Associate Professor in the American University of Paris’ International and Comparative Politics Department made the prediction Wednesday during a Digital Video Conference (dvc) involving representatives of some of Liberian political parties, university students and journalists. The dvc was held live between the American Embassies in Paris where the two panellists are based and Monrovia where the audience was. Speaking under the theme “United States 2008 General Elections”, Cue and Ekovich said opinion polls have put Obama ahead of his Republican rival John McCain. But in response to a question as to how an Obama presidency would impact Liberia, both men pointed out that although Obama’s ancestors are (partially) Africans, Obama is an American, and as an American President, Obama will protect and put America’s interest above all other considerations. Journalist Cue and Associate Professor Ekovich said America’s policy for Africa will “not change; neither Obama nor McCain presidency will change American policy toward Africa; reading both Obama’s and McCain’s plan for Africa is like reading the same script twice.”

Radio summary

Information Minister on Progress Made by Government after 1000 Days in Office
· In an interview, Information Minster Lawrence Bropleh has admitted that everything is not well in the country but that government has made some progress in addressing the plight of Liberians.
· Speaking as government celebrates one thousand days in power, Minister Bropleh said the salary of civil servants was increased following the identification of more than 17,000 ghost names on the civil servant payroll.
· He also spoke of reforms in the mineral industry with the setting-up of the Liberia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative and said government was committed to the fight against corruption.
· The government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf came to power in 2006, with a promise to improve the living condition of Liberians and fight corruption.
(Also reported on Truth F.M. and ELBC)

Final Argument in US$500M Cocaine Cast Takes Place Today
· Final arguments in the US$500 million cocaine case were due to have taken place today at criminal court “C” at the Temple of Justice.
· It case involves nine Ghanaians arrested onboard the “Blue Atlantic” with 92 barrels of cocaine.
· Defense and Prosecution lawyers will try to convince jurors hearing the case to arrive at a verdict in their favour.
· The prosecution during the trial said it found that the vessel has been engaged with drug trafficking across West Africa and beyond
· French Navy troops arrested the nine Ghanaians and their vessel in an area where they found the cocaine floating at sea but the Ghanaians denied any involvement.
(Also reported on Truth F.M. and ELBC)

TRC Accused of Bad Labour Practice
· A group of aggrieved employees of the Truth Commission has accused the commission of human rights violation and bad labour practices.
·Two spokesmen of the aggrieved workers, Mohammed Cammue and John Toe said the commission terminated their contracts without giving them severance benefits.
· They also alleged the TRC has refused to pay them their transportation allowances in the tone of US$200 each for the period of seven months.
· Cammue and Toe further explained all attempts to prevail on the TRC to provide them their just benefits failed as the commission remains insensitive.
· The TRC aggrieved employees said they have since taken the commission to the Labor Court for redress.
· When contacted, TRC’s Media Officer Richmond Anderson said the commission was prepared to settle the aggrieved employees but the matter was in court.

Few minutes with Miss Liberia 2007/2008

Ms. Bendu Tita Parker in 2007 emerged as the winner of Miss Liberia 2007/2008 pageant. The pageant was organized by Miss Boss Lady Entertainment International in collaboration with the ministry of information.
During the program that gave giant size lead to Ms. Parker, she stood that underdevelopment of Liberia could be attributed to bad governance. She linked the 14 year senseless civil war to bad governance.
According to the outlined rules of the 2007/2008 pageant, Bendu was expected to receive us$10.000.00 from Kakata trading, $600.00 from Commium (a cell phone company in Liberia), Firestone scholarship of us$1,500.00 and us$500.00 from Ecobank
Recently, Mr. Sam K Zinnah “through facebook” came one-on-one with 2007/2008 Miss Liberia “Bendu Tita. Parker” who is currently on vacation in the United Kingdom. Mis. Parker declined interview but said she could spell out few of her activities in Liberia.

Sam
1. what are some of the activities you are working on in Liberia 'if any?

4:55pmBendu
I do the regular charity work, with schools, hospitals, clinics, orphanage homes and the various counties. I also have speaking tours and concentrate on female education across the country. I partnership with the American library and had the first spelling competition ever in Liberia. I partnership with government of Liberia and UNMIL (United Nations Mission In Liberia) for the national anti rape campaign, partnership with government of Liberia and Liberia fistula project for a massive surgical fistula campaign, recently award over 29 elementary students scholarships for this academic year and many others

4:58pmSam
2. Thousands (if not millions) of Liberians were coerce out of Liberia during the civil war, many are either in Europe or America, if you were to ask for two major things from them, what would you ask?

5:02pmBendu
I really have my own thoughts when it comes to Liberians that are away. Liberia suffered and gradually we are trying to put the broken pieces together. I will want all Liberians to return home and rebuild our nation,. at this point its a hard decision to make for many families. Most people have nothing to go back for, but we can all go back to contribute to our society. We must always put country first.
5:05pmSam
Some or many of these Liberians in question took on other citizenship while in other countries. According to the Liberian constitution, those Liberians are no longer considered Liberians; including their kids (if any) they had while in exile or refuge. how would such condition be reconciled with your plead to return home to rebuild our nation?

5:16pmBendu
I don’t think dual citizenship should be the paramount issue. I believe you are still a true Liberian and that’s what runs in you, in your blood. It’s all about creating a better world for our children and leaving a legacy that will judge us tomorrow. Many Africans leave their countries in search of opportunities. In most of these cases, Africans return home when life gets better. I haven’t seen the part of the Liberian constitution that says you are not Liberian when you have another citizenship. There were issues about dual citizenship during our most recent elections, and I know it was taken care of.

5:17pmSam
Many people in Liberia look at Miss Liberia as just beautiful Liberian ladies advertising their beauty. What topic or strategy would you use to sell the idea of Miss Liberia to other Liberians who are not properly informed about you?

5:28pmBendu
There is so much that our young women can learn from participating in the Miss Liberia beauty pageant. It is not just the physical beauty, but the beauty inside. It’s just simple. Give the young women the chance to display what they have inside. Support their projects. When I look at my position now, I don’t see myself as just Bendu Parker. I represent the many young women across my country. all the fifteen counties. I want people to see what i am capable of doing for Liberia. Evaluate my projects and support them. Beauty with a purpose is beauty with true essence.

5:35pmSam
The rebuilding/reconstruction of Liberia is actually a collective effort. Recently, one online Liberian news magazine published what appeared to be scams of activities allegedly involving some of the President’s inner circle, since the publication of those emails; there have been different views of Liberians in and out of Liberia. What do you or your organization make of this?
5:43pmBendu
I do not speak for the miss Liberia org, I speak as Bendu T. parker, miss Liberia 2007/2008. We have serious issues to deal with. I don’t think Liberians should concentrate on those things that will divide our country. For too long, those were the issues. Let us think about those things that will develop our nation and not take us back to where we were 4 years ago. We have had enough of the confusion, war, violence and etc. anything that could take us back or remind us of the past, will not have my support.

Miss. Parker, it was nice spending few minutes of your leisure time with me this evening. what would be your last words before we draw our curtains?

5:47pmBendu
liberia needs all of our collective efforts. We can create a nation we can all be proud of. I see a Liberia that the world will envy. God bless Liberia.
5:48pmSam
Once again, thanks for your time

5:48pmBendu
good night

United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)

UNMIL Public Information Office Complete Media Summaries
29 September 2008

Reports from Rivergee County in south-eastern Liberia, say the bridge linking the county to Maryland County has collapsed. The bridge collapsed due to the over flooding of the Gee River caused by heavy down pull of rain. The County’s Superintendent Karku Sampson via telephone said the collapse of the bridge has prevented the movement of motorcycles and vehicles to Maryland County.
· He said the local authority of both counties are presently collaborating to ensured the speedily reconstruction of the bridge. “We are working with all stakeholders to ensure that the bridge is reconstructed in the next few weeks,” he maintained.
· Mr. Sampson also called on NGOs working in the counties to render them some technical supports in order to rehabilitate bridge which is the only major linked between the two counties. Recently, citizens of River gee and other users of the road leading to Maryland County complaint about bad conditions between the both counties.

Head of War Crimes Advocacy Group Arrested
(Heritage, The Monitor, The News, National Chronicle)

·The Chairman of the Forum for the Establishment of a War Crimes Court in Liberia, Mulbah Morlu has reported been arrested. The Opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) announced the arrest and detention of Mr. Morlu at a news conference on Sunday
·The party said state security picked up Morlu at about 6:00PM on Friday on Broad Street and that he has since been detained at the Headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA) in Monrovia.
·Authorities of the NSA are yet to comment on the arrest. Mr. Gray expressed concern about the health of Morlu saying few minutes before his arrest he complained of being ill. According to him, this is the fifth time Morlu has been arrested by state security and the second time by the NSA. In previous arrest, he was taken to the police for questioning.

Container Truck Crushed Woman to Death in Monrovia
(The News, The Inquirer, The Monitor, Daily Observer, Public Agenda, National Chronicle, New Vision)

·The Daily Observer reports that thousands of grief-stricken people on Saturday, September 27, 2008 swamped the vicinity of Johnson Street-Slipway intersection when a 40-foot container abruptly fell from a trailer onto a nearby blue pick-up, subsequently crushing a woman to death.
·The Inquirer newspaper quoting eyewitnesses said the accident occurred when a truck with a container onboard from the Freeport of Monrovia and was on its way to central Monrovia to discharge goods, reportedly lost control and collided with a pick-up.
·The victim, whose name could not be immediately obtained, is believed to be a businesswoman who was said to be on her regular business routine when the accident occurred. Several individuals who thronged the accident site to catch a glimpse of the episode recommended to the government to thoroughly regulate the movement of container trucks and enforce safety rules and regulations.

Some Senators are poised to Re-instate Suspended Pro-Tempore Today
(The Inquirer, Daily Observer, Heritage, National Chronicle, The News, Plain Truth, New Vision, Liberian Express)

·The media reports that an agreement to reinstate suspended President Pro-temp, Isaac Nyenabo is expected to be announced by a group of Senators today. This followed a disagreement on the deferral of the re-instatement of Senator Nyenabo after a ruling by Chamber Justice Jamesetta Wolokollie.
·Acting Senate President Pro-tempore, Lahai Lassanah said the re-instatement order by Justice Wolokollie would be discussed next year but some key members of the Senate announced on Friday that the Supreme Court’s ruling will be enforced today. The Senator met on Friday but could not announce the reinstatement of Nyenabo due to the absence of Lahai Lassanah.
·It was gathered that Mr. Nyenabo would be asked to resign immediately following his re-instatement to end the leadership crisis at the Senate. The Daily Observer reports that credible information suggests that the United States Congress has threatened to impose travel restrictions on some members of the Liberian Senate for their failure to adhere to a Supreme Court of Liberia ruling ordering the Senate to reinstate the suspended Senate Pro-Tempore.

Chinese Company Launches New Malaria Drug …Government Pledges Support
(Heritage, The Inquirer, Daily Observer)
·A new drug set to combat malaria has been launched in the country. The anti-malaria drug called ARCO was launched by a Chinese company, Kunming Pharmaceutical Corporation, at the weekend.
·The Inquirer reports that the launch coincided with the donation of a consignment of the drugs to government.
·ARCO is a new generation of highly efficacious oral fixed does of ACT based combination therapy. Receiving the drugs, the Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, Dr. Bernice Dahn lauded the Chinese group for the donation and said the issue of malaria is very critical to government. She pledged government support to the initiative.
·Earlier, the Vice President of the Company, Dong Shaoyu said the medicine is very effective in treating malaria.

Judge Denies Motion to Overturn Ruling in Blah vs. Urey Case
(The Inquirer)

·The Civil Law Court of Montserrado County has denied motion to overturn its previous judgment on an earlier Motion to Dismiss a Motion for Summary Judgment in the case ‘Urey vs Blah.’
· In Judge Yussif Kaba’s ruling last week to both parties present in court, he said that the respondent’s request was denied because the court sees no justification to disturb the ruling which this motion is seeking the court to rescind. He said that because the respondent in said case was the same that filed for the motion to dismiss and subsequently filed for a summary judgment, it was the same respondent that elected to have heard the summary judgment. And according to him, the same could not be denied but it was noticed that similar and identical issues raised in one motion was in the same.

In Margibi Murder Trial, State Lawyers Want Judge Step Aside
(Heritage, Public Agenda, Plain Truth)

· State Lawyers in the suspended murder trial involving Margibi Senator, Roland Kaine have asked the Judge of Criminal Court “B” to step aside from all proceedings in the case because he is believed to be biased. The Heritage reports that the State’s request for Judge Korboi Nuta to step aside from the case comes against the backdrop of the Judge’s recent decision to grant an application filed by the defense which was intended to admit the detained Senator to bail.
· According to them, this will serve the interest and purpose of transparent justice and integrity of the proceeding. In a five-count motion filed over the weekend, State Lawyers argued that they would not receive a fair determination of the case as the Judge has already determine that that the State has no convincing evidence against co-defendant Kaine before hearing the case.

Back To School Parade to Kick Off YMCA Membership and Fund Drive
(Daily Observer, The Inquirer)

·A Back-to-School Parade involving some 60 schools in the greater Monrovia area is scheduled to take place this Friday, October 3, 2008, to mark the commencement of the 44th Membership Campaign and Fund Drive of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) of Liberia. The YMCA was founded in Harper, Cape Palmas in 1881. For over a century the organization has striven to cater to the needs of young people. The theme of this year membership campaign and fund drive is “Inspiring Young People and Communities for Transformation and Self Fulfillment”. It targets 10,000 members and US$100.000. The aim is to recruit members in all 15 counties so that the Y may extend its activities throughout the country.

Radio Summary
Star Radio (News monitored today at 10:00 am)
Group of Senators determined to Re-instate leader
(Also reported on Truth F.M. and ELBC)

Liberian Security arrest Advocate of War Crimes Court
(Also reported on Truth F.M. and ELBC)

Labour nullifies Motorcycle Union's Certificate
·A Ministry of Labour release issued in Monrovia has nullified the operational certificate of the Liberia Motorcycle Union, describing it as a self-styled.
·The Ministry said the certificate in the possession of the union’s leadership was issued by unauthorized personnel saying it has never approved any certificate to such a union.
·The statement said the proposed leadership of the motorcycle union was advised to re-file its documents to certify the criteria for legitimate certification but this has not happened.
·The ministry said the action contravenes provisions of the Labour Practices Law of Liberia, which call for all criteria to be met for granting of certificate.

Juror attacked in Buchanan - in Critical Condition
·A juror serving on the August Term at the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court, Mr. Leroy Zeegar has been attacked by some unknown men in Grand Bassa County.
·Leroy explained that the men entered his house in the Pipeline Community Friday at about 3:00 AM and chopped him all over his body and left him unconscious.
· There has been no arrest so far in connection with the act and the cause of the attack has not been officially established.
However, Leroy was a member of a jury that brought down a guilty verdict for murder against one Judoe Memei last week Wednesday.

Truth F.M. (News monitored today at 9:00 am)
Chinese Company Donates Malaria Drugs to Liberia

*****
Note:

The media summaries and press clips do not necessarily represent the views of UNMIL.

Liberian government and UNMIL lunch Album

UNMIL News services

UNMIL Public Information Office Complete Media Summaries
12 September 2008

[The media summaries and press clips do not necessarily represent the views of UNMIL.]

Newspaper Summary
Liberian Government and UNMIL Launch Album of ‘Star is Born’ Winner
(The Informer ,The Inquirer, Daily Observer)

· The Liberian Government and the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) will today formally launch the album, “Keep on Trying” recorded by the 2007/2008 winner of ‘A Star is Born’ National Talent Hunt, Moses Swaray. The event will showcase Liberian musical performances and lead to the symbolic hand-over of the albums/CDs to the star of the evening, Mr. Swaray.
· This event also forms part of the original package for the winner of the contest, which included US$1,500 educational stipend, an opportunity to work with UNMIL Public Information’s Community Outreach outfit in its nationwide sensitization campaigns, and a recording deal provided by Creative Sounds Studio in Monrovia. Moses Swaray is a young musician of growing stature in the Liberian music industry and has been communicating positive messages throughout Liberia in support of anti-crime, stop-rape, and other initiatives. He won the competition from a field of over 1000 persons that registered for the auditions.

US$2.7m Grant for Women Development
(Daily Observer)

· The World Bank in collaboration with Nike Foundation and the Liberian government have signed a US$2.7m grant agreement. The grant would go toward the Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and young women project undertaken by government through the Gender Ministry.
· World Bank Country Manager Ohnene Owusu Nyanin said the project reflects the World Bank’s commitment to the empowerment of young women through access to work. He said the project is aimed at empowering girls and young women by giving them marketable skills and linking them to employment opportunities.
· Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan and Varbah Gayflor, Minister of Gender and Development signed on behalf of government. The two senior officials commended the Word Bank and Nike Foundation for providing the grant.

Former NTLA Speaker Breaks Silence on alleged Plans to Incriminate Him in a Coup Plot
(Heritage)

· Former National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) Speaker, George Dweh who was booted out of his position during the regime of Charles Gyude Bryant has broken silence denying his involvement in an alleged coup plot to remove the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
· A local daily, Renaissance Newspaper in its September 10, 2008 lead story captioned “Secret Plan to Unseat Ellen’s Government, Charles Bennie, Others Linked”.
· The story among other things alleged that Mr. Bennie and others have been holding secret meetings at the home of former transitional Speaker Dweh near St. Bridge on the Bushrod Island to unseat the government. Speaking Thursday, he denied holding meetings with Bennie and others to take power in the country. The former Speaker said those concocting the rumour are evil-minded people trying to incriminate him in the alleged plot.
· Liberia.

Seven Armed Robbers Arrested In August
(National Chronicle)

· The Liberia National Police (LNP) says seven armed robbers were apprehended in the month of August. According to an LNP press release, three of the robbers were accused of breaking into the compound of the Christian Evangelistic Ministry in Sinkor and taking away valuable items. The release said the items were taking away by the criminals but were retrieved by the police. He named the items as a 2.5 KVA generator, 5KVA generator, pieces of lappas, six yards of lace materials and US$10,000.

Senate Confirms Anti-Corruption Commissioners amidst Public Outcry
(The Inquirer, The Analyst, The News, Public Agenda, National Chronicle )

· The media reports that despite protests from civil society and two Opposition Political Parties, the Senate has confirmed Cllr. Frances Johnson Morris and three other nominees of the Anti-Corruption Commission. The other nominees are Sandra Howard-Kendor, Moulai Reeves and Ousman Kanneh.
· The confirmation took place Thursday following a report by the Committee on Public Corporations and Autonomous Commissions. Speaking to journalists, Acting Senate Pro Temp Lahai Lassana said after a session of the body, the senate thought it expedient to confirm the nominees.
· The hearing was disrupted on Wednesday after a debate ensued between Senators that an amendment was made to the Anti-corruption Law. Earlier, the Opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Liberty party opposed the appointment of the commission on grounds that they had deep connection with the status quo and feared that the team may not be impartial.

President Sirleaf Makes More Appointments in Government
(Heritage The Inquirer)

· President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made more appointments in Government, pending confirmation by the Liberian Senate. According to an Executive Mansion release, those nominated are, Mr. Arthur W. B. Fumbah, Deputy Minister for Expenditure & Debt Management, Ministry of Finance; Mr. Roderick Smith, Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Public Work; Mr. Charles Carpenter, Deputy Minister for Rural Development, Ministry of Public Works; Mr. Isaac W. Jackson, Jr., Assistant Minister for Culture at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and Mr. George K. Yango, Assistant Minister for Community Services, Ministry of Public Works. Others are Mr. William Slour, Assistant Minister for Operations at the Ministry of Public Works; Mr. Edsel Smith, Assistant Minister for Technical Services, Ministry of Public Works among others.

Peace Corps-Liberia Signs MOU with Partners
(The Analyst, Heritage)

· The US Peace Corps-Liberia has signed Memorandum of Understandings with the Ministries of Education and Health and the World Food Programme. Under the MOU, US Peace Corps volunteers would work with rural training institutes, learning resource centres and WFP school feeding program. The volunteers would also serve the health sector, teaching at the midwifery school expected to open next month in Zwedru.
· The Country Director of US Peace Corps, Lucianne Philips said eighteen volunteers are expected next month to immediately begin work. According to Madam Phillips, the volunteers would initially serve for eight months in Lofa, Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties. Madam Philips hopes a full Peace Corps program would be developed within two years. Education Minister Joseph Korto, Deputy Health Minister Vivian Cherue, and US Peace Corps Regional Director for Africa Henry Mckoy signed for their respective Agencies.

Liberia, Libya Launch Campaign against Food Insecurity
(Daily Observer, The Inquirer, The News)

· The government of Liberia with support from Libya has launched the “Green Programme” at the Ministry of Agriculture site in Gardnersville. The Green Program is a campaign initiated by the Libyan government in Benin recently to intensify agricultural programs in Africa. According to the Libyan Charge D’affairs in Liberia, Mustapha Al-Raash the campaign targets the fight against hunger and poverty in Africa. The News newspaper reports that the launch coincided with the commissioning of eight tractors given by the Libyan government which is to herald the beginning of an agro-mechanized campaign in Liberia.

Radio Summary
Star Radio (News monitored today at 8:00 am)
Court Grants Motion for US$500M Cocaine Case to Make Trial Docket
· Criminal Court “C” has granted a motion to advance the 500 million cocaine case involving nine Ghanaians on its trial docket.
· The court’s decision followed legal argument between State and Defense lawyers Thursday.
· The Defense team argued that the motion was not filed within the statutory period something state lawyers admitted to.
· Judge Emmanuel Kollie granted the motion because the Defense agreed for the case to begin despite the State failure to proceed in keeping with law
· The trial is expected to commence next week.

Dwarzohn Residents Protest Over Land Dispute
· Residence of Dwarzohn in Margibi County yesterday carried placards seeking the intervention of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the ongoing land dispute with the Defense Ministry.
· Both parties are claiming ownership to a parcel of land in the Dwazohn community.
· President Sirleaf assured them she would hold a meeting with both parties to look into the situation.


TRUTH F.M. (News monitored today at 10:00 am)
President Sirleaf Commissions 5 Officials of Government Today
· A Ministry of Foreign Affairs release issued in Monrovia said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is expected to commission five government officials today.
· Those to be commissioned include Governance Commission Chairman, Dr. Amos Sawyer, Yah-sua Weh Dorliea and Dr. Jabaru Carlon of the Governace Commission.
· Others are Dr. Alhassan, Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commany Wesseh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Liberia to the United Nations.

President Sirleaf Signs Several Legislations
· President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has signed several legislations submitted by the leadership of the joint House and Senate committees on Executive.
· The Legislation presented yesterday include an act prohibiting the sale and use of tobacco products by persons under 18, an act ratifying the investment agreement entered into by Government and Novel Liberian Inc as well as the act ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty among others.

Government, OSIWA Sign MOU for Scholarship for Law Students
· A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Government and the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) has been signed in Monrovia for the provision of 50 scholarships for deserving law students at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law.
· The MOU is aimed at providing students the opportunity to further their legal studies and at the same time work for government for a period of three years after their studies.
· The scholarship comes at a time government is said to be in dire need of competent lawyers.

More Appointments in Government

Senate Confirms Anti-Corruption Commissioners
(Also reported on Truth FM, ELBC)

UNMIL News

United Nations Nations Unies

United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)


UNMIL Public Information Office Complete Media Summaries
10 September 2008

[The media summaries and press clips do not necessarily represent the views of UNMIL.]

Newspaper Summary
Remains of Sierra Leone's military leader Discovered in Northern Liberia
(National Chronicle)

· [sic:] The former Sierra Leone Junta leader Johnny Paul Koroma is said to have been found in northern Liberia, particularly in Foya, Lofa County.
· Special Court Investigators along with Liberian and Sierra Leonean security officers exhumed the remains more than two weeks ago. It is suspected that former confidants of now detained former President Charles Taylor are believed to have provided tip-off on where the former Sierra Leonean military leader was buried. Forensic studies are now being conducted in Sierra Leone to confirm the identity of the remains. If the result is positive, the discovery would bring to two the number of senior Sierra Leonean rebel commanders killed in Liberia. In 2002, the Charles Taylor government ordered the execution of Sam Bockari alias Mosquito on the grounds that he resisted arrest.

Long time Political Activist says TWP should account for its role in Liberia
(National Chronicle, The News, The Informer, Heritage)

· A long-time political activist says representatives of the True Whig Party must come forward to present their party’s position on history to the truth commission.
· Dr. Marcus Dahn argued the TWP must account for decades of injustices and brutality against the people of Liberia.
· The True Whig Party ruled Liberia for more than one hundred years and was widely known for suppressing Liberians who were not from the Americo-Liberian class.
· The former Progressive Alliance of Liberia official said when the TWP present its side of the story and apologize then some form of reparation must be given to its victims.
· Dr. Dahn also told the TRC representatives of the Doe regime must also gave accounts for mal-treatment of civilians and those who were killed under the regime.
· He recalled some great nations have apologized to their citizens for crimes committed so why these two past regimes can not apologize for their actions.
· Mr. Dahn maintained the change advocated by PAL was now becoming a reality and said it was good that they stood firm and made sure that it happened.
· The Progressive Alliance of Liberia opposed the one-party rule of the True Whig Party and advocated for a multi-party system for Liberia.


Additional appointments in Government
(The Analyst)

· President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has made new appointments in government. Those appointed include Mrs. Hawa Goll Kotchi, commissioner, Governance Commission, George Y. Miller, Assistant Minister of Lands Survey and Cartography, Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy. Others are George Wisner, Assistant Minister for Afro-Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Philomena B. Sayeh, Director-General, Center for National Documents and Records. The appointments by the President are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Seven ‘Vigilante’ Members Charged With Armed Robbery
(News)

· The Monrovia Magisterial Court at the Temple of Justice Tuesday charged seven men of the Neezoe Community with armed robbery. Defendants Bob Sonkarley, Henry Konbloyon, David Johnson, D. Valentine Talery, Adam Sokpah, Emmanuel Zubah and Alfred Massaquoi were arrested by the Liberia National Police based on a complaint filed by Sylvester Gbaryan and Jallah Argbah.
· The accused were forwarded to the Magisterial Court Tuesday by the Liberia National Police on previous charges of aggravated assault, but following interview by Magistrate Wondah Sondah, their charges were augmented to armed robbery.
· According to the Arrest Warrant, the defendants on 6 September 2008, with criminal intent attacked the complainants, beat, tied and subjected them to intimidation and harassment by using guns and other deadly weapons and took away an amount of LD$10,000.

US$500M Cocaine Suspects Appear in Court Today
(The News, The Inquirer, New Democrat, Daily Observer)

· The Daily Observer reports that Captain Oteng Akrasi Osei of the (IMO 6806559) Blue Atlantic vessel, along with his eight alleged crew members, charged and indicted for drugs trafficking, are expected to appear in court for trial today, Wednesday, September 10, 2008.
· The assignment of the case follows an indictment of the defendants months after they were arrested and released on a LD$3,000.00 bail by dismissed Judge Milton Taylor. In February this year, Liberian security officials reported that 2.5 metric tons of cocaine valued US$500 million was seized from nine Ghanaians who were arrested deep in Liberian territorial waters by officers on a French Navy patrol boat and brought to Monrovia and turned over to Government.

Radio Summary
Star Radio (News monitored today at 9:00 am)
Corpse of Johnny Paul Kromah Discovered in Lofa

PAL's official wants TWP explain position on history

New appointments in Government

Confirmation hearing of Anti-corruption commissioners ends in confusion
· Report says the confirmation hearing of members of the Anti-Corruption Commission has ended in confusion.
· The Senate Committee conducting the hearing has therefore postponed the hearing to Thursday.
· Details on what led to the eruption of the confusion will follow in our subsequent broadcast.
JPC wants dismissed Assistant Minister arrested
· The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has questioned what it considered the failure of government to arrest and prosecute Thierry Swarthy Genesis.
· Mr. Genesis served as Assistant Minister of Postal Affairs but was sacked by President Sirleaf for alleged corrupt practices.
· Following his dismissal, Mr. Genesis was asked to turn himself over to the Justice Ministry for prosecution.
· The Executive Director of the JPC, Cllr. Augustine Toe said the procedure was unusual in the country’s political history.
· Cllr. Toe said if the government believes Genesis was dismissed on corruption charges it should have arrested him by now.
· He said a dismissal that borders on criminality needs no preferential treatment for the accused.
· Cllr. Toe observed while others were arrested for corrupt acts, the government chose to ask Mr. Genesis to turn himself over to the Justice Ministry.

FIND suspends Regional Officer

· The Regional Program Officer of the Foundation for International Dignity has been suspended.
· A statement issued in Monrovia said the Board of Directors of FIND said Dixon Gblah is suspended for what the board termed administrative ineptitude.
· A FIND statement said Mr. Dixon Gblah suspension took effect on June 16 at a regional meeting held in Monrovia.
· The statement called on all partners including local and international NGOs not to do business with Mr. Gblah in the name of the foundation.
· FIND however, assures its numerous partners that contracts entered into before the suspension of Mr. Gblah remain valid.

West Africa Police Reform forum opens in Monrovia

· A two-day conference on Police Reform in West Africa opens today in Monrovia.
· The conference is to assess the extent, challenges and successes in Police reform in Anglophone West African Countries.
· It brings together security and law enforcement officials from Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
· Security team from each country would make a presentation on the state of Police reform in the country, highlighting initiatives and challenges.
· A statement from the Liberia National Law Enforcement Association said Justice Ministry Philip Banks would deliver the Keynote Address.
· According to the statement, the regional Police reform forum is being hosted by the CLEEN Foundation based in Abuja, Nigeria.
· The CLEEN Foundation focuses on pubic safety, security and justice through empirical research, advocacy and demonstration of programs.

Population Act suffers setback – Speaker accused of manipulation

· There has been a major setback in the House of Representatives over the draft population threshold Act. The House of Representatives has deferred further discussions on the Act to January 2009.
· The decision followed days of controversy in the House on the passage of the Act.
· The Act seeks to increase the population threshold from twenty thousand to forty-five thousand in line with Article 80 of the Constitution.
· The Chairman of the House Elections and Inauguration Committee said the passage of the Act was allegedly stalled by Speaker Alex Tyler.
· Representative Gabriel Smith of Grand Bassa County said speaker Tyler manipulated the deferral of the discussion because Bomi County would be affected. The House Speaker Tyler refused to comment on the accusation by Representative Gabriel Smith when approached by journalists.

President Sirleaf dedicates new markets

· President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says she remains committed to improving the conditions under which market women carryout their businesses.
· President Sirleaf said she would continue to seek funding to improve market buildings not just in Monrovia but across the Country.
· She spoke when she dedicated an extension of the Jorkpen Town Market.
· The extension was built under the Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund, sponsored by friends and partners of the President abroad.
· President Sirleaf also officially opened at the market, a savings window of the ECO bank to enable market women safe their money and access loans.
· She encouraged the marketers to take advantage of the ECO Bank services to better their lives.
· The President assured the marketers of the construction of a cold storage facility and the introduction of an adult literacy program.
· The head of the Sirleaf Market Women Fund, Varbah Gayflor also assured the marketers that all is now set to develop a day care and school for their children.
· Newly renovated market buildings in Paynesville, Duala and Barnersville were also dedicated by the President.

Youth group donates to JFK Medical Centre

· Youth Action International has donated huge quantity of medical equipment to the John F. Kennedy media centre.
· The cost of the donation was put at fifty thousand United States Dollars.
· Making the donation, the Executive Director of the Group, Kamie Weeks said this was his institution’s way of identifying with the JFK.
· He said the donation was in fulfilment of his 2007 Independence Day speech for stakeholders to pay attention to the health sector.
· Mr. Weeks promised that the gesture will continue all over the country with Gbarnga earmarked to be the next.
· The youth group also presented over one hundred thousand U.S. dollars worth of school materials to the Special Project School in the Stephen Tolbert Estate.
· The equipment comprises of text books of all subjects and advance dictionaries.
(Also reported on Truth FM, ELBC)

Bong, Grand Bassa citizens initiate self-help project

· Citizens of two districts in Bong and Grand Bassa Counties have begun a self-help project to rehabilitate a road linking the two counties.
· The districts are Yelequelleh in Bong County and District Number 2B in Grand Bassa County.
· Yelequelleh District representative to the Bong County Development Council said the project is the citizens’ initiative to address the problem of transportation.
· Mr. Edward Kaffiah said the citizens have begun the side brushing of the road, the filling of potholes and the re-conditioning of bridges.
· Mr. Kaffiah believes the rehabilitation of the road would allow vehicles into the area and enable the locals to bring their produce to town.
· He revealed to Star Radio a woman recently died at delivery due to the inaccessibility of the road to vehicles.
· Mr. Kaffiah hopes the self-help road rehabilitation by the citizens of the two districts would shortly be completed.

Man found guilty for killing brother in Lofa
· The 10th Judicial Circuit Court in Lofa County has found a 20-year-old man guilty of murder.
· Our correspondent said Kortee Jallah was convicted for killing his elderly brother, Massaboi Koleulieh in Gorwormai Village in March this year.
· According to our Correspondent, Koleulieh was killed when he had gone to stop Jallah from beating his wife for grasshopper.
· Our correspondent said grasshopper is widely eaten by some people in Lofa County.
· He added that Jallah admitted to committing the crime during the trial.
· Assigned Judge Sekajipo Walloh is expected to announce the sentence of Kortee Jallah.
(Also reported on Truth F.M. and ELBC)

District Commissioner suspended in River Gee

· Report from River Gee County in south-eastern Liberia says authorities of the county have suspended the Commissioner of Sarbo District for time indefinite.
· Star Radio gathered Madam Regina Nyenpan was suspended for what the authorities called administrative reasons.
· The authorities have appointed Mr. Peter Toweh as Acting Commissioner while Madam Nyenpan serves her suspension.
In another development, Star Radio further gathered that the immigration Commander in the county, Col. Romeo Kossugba has been transferred. Our source said immigration authorities in Monrovia made the decision and named Deputy Commander Victor Bartue as Acting BIN Commander.

·

The United States of Africa, 'a nifty idea' but a questionable source

The proposed idea of the unification of Africa into one state is one brilliant idea amongst many but the source of the idea remained widely questionable. For centuries, the world’s second largest and most populous continent after Asia “Africa” has been and continued to be rubbed of its resources. The successful division of the “African” continent by the West has largely continued to maintain its purpose “disunity”. Africa is divided into (more than) seven (former) colonies; France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and the United States. The main reason behind the idea of division is believed to be for economy gains by those (former) colonies. Although the continent is believed to be overtly free today, there are still covert colonial activities everywhere on the continent. Governments are covertly controlled or influenced by their former colonies.
The division of the continent also divides the mind of the continent and it inhabitants. Each of those former colonies does or deals with issues differently. i.e., during my stay in former British colony Ghana as a refugee, I traveled through “former French colony” La Cote d’IVoire (Ivory Coast) by means of road/ground. In Cote d’Ivoire, travelers (from different African Countries) were constantly harassed by Ivorian security forces. More often than none, the Ivorian security forces would stop (commercial) commuter vehicles and take away every passenger’s travel documents. Those collected documents were then used to verify who’s from where. This process was usually referred to as “classification”. Money was squeezed out of travelers based on their nationality. Someone from former British colonies, i.e; Ghana or Nigeria, was charged higher than someone from another colony. Reasons for the different charges were best known to the Ivorian security forces. I am of the strongest believe that those charges were connected to some colonial believes or reasons. On the other hand, someone from the West coast of Africa caught in the Central, North, or East of the continent is treated harsher.
The above attitudes exhibited by the Ivorian security forces in the sub-region shows the level of disunity on the continent of Africa.

In 2006 when I served as the secretary of the Liberian Students Association in the U.S., a case involving several Liberian Students in Egypt and Morocco surfaced on my desk. In Morocco, a Liberian student was sentenced to ten years in prison for carrying a document that was expired for few weeks. Boakai Karnley “a representative of the Liberian group I spoke to in Morocco” told me that the gentleman visited the immigration offices on several occasion to renew his documents but was told to check back after the holidays. According to Boakai, it was during that time that the document expired. Karnley described their stay in Morocco as “frustrating. “We are always hunted for, chased even into our bed rooms. Our rents are increased on the monthly basis simply because we are either black, refugees or from another country”. Those were the exact words of Boakai Karnley. How can we unite when the continent “Africa” is so badly divided into so many pieces? Such unity (if ever possible) will only show on paper (like the African Union that barks than it bites) but completely different in reality.



One African leader, ‘Libya’s col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi’ has for a long time advocated for the creation of a United States of Africa with its Government including a foreign minister, defense minister and minister of trade but Gaddafi’s activities in Africa and around the world does not show any positive connection to his political rhetoric. This author’s attention was recently caught again when Gaddafi threatened to turn his back on Africa if the continent’s leaders again reject his (Gaddafi’s) proposals for closer unity. He said he would instead look towards Europe and the Arab world. I am not sure if Gaddafi “during his political rhetoric speech just ahead of the opening of a summit of African leaders in Ethiopia” was considering his past failed relationship with the same Europe and Arab world.
According to BBC’s Rena Jawad in Tripoli, the Libyan leader said he’s prepared to move his African investments which he said amounted to more than $5 bn (2.5 bn euro) to Arabs and Mediterranean states. Muammar Gaddafi is the Arab world’s longest-serving leader. The colonel came to power in a bloodless coup in 1969 against the ailing King Idris I. Gaddafi was inspired by the late Egyptian leader Gamal Abdul Nasser, who dominated the Arab politics in the 1950s and 1960s. Gaddafi’s attempts to ride on Egypt Nasser’s dream of unifying other Arab States met with less success. Immediately after taking over the Country “Libya”, Gaddafi expelled more than 24,000 Italian, Ousted U.S. and British military forces, converted the Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the Mosque of Gamal Abdul Nasser, nationalized foreign banks and squeezed higher royalties out of more than 35 oil companies operating in Libya. With all the oil money flowing into his pocket, Gaddafi paid up to $55 million annual subsidy to Egypt. Gaddafi has also been funding Jordan for the fight against Israel. After General Hafez Assad seized power in Syria, Gaddafi audaciously flew to Damascus, Syria, and reportedly left a $10 million dollars check as his personal support for the general. With a $10 million dollars check in the general’s pocket after a few hours visit, he had the unsetting experience of learning that a plane with Gaddafi aboard would buzz his capital and economy in few minutes. During Morocco’s abortive coup in 1971, Gaddafi offered King Hassan’s enemies military aid before he even knew what was happening or who the rebels were.

In the 1990s, he turned to Africa and proposed what he referred to as the “United States of Africa” but his covert activities/deeds in the region are quite different from his proposals.
Looking as far back as the 1970s, Gaddafi introduced the “Jamahiriya”-a system of Governance based around “people’s committees” and free of partisan politics in Libya. The formation of Jamahiriya sends a strong message to political pundit in Gaddafi’s range of politics in Libya. By the late 1980s, he had given up his official titles to become leader of the revolution while retaining absolute power.
In the mid-1980s, Gaddafi was widely regarded in the west as the principal financier of international terrorism. Reportedly, Gaddafi was a major supporter of the “black September movement” which perpetrated the Munich Massacre at the 1972 summer Olympics in Germany, and was accused by the United States of being responsible for the direct control of the 1986 Berlin bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 200. Gaddafi is also said to have paid “Carlos the Jackal” to kidnap and then release a number of Saudi Arabian and Iranian oil ministers.
Gaddafi in one of his usual covert activities in 1984 shot British police Yvonne Fletcher who was policing an anti Gaddafi demonstration outside of the Libyan embassy in London. According to British media reports, a burst of machine gun fire from the Libyan embassy was suspected of Killing Yvonne Fletcher, but Libyan diplomats asserted their diplomats immunity and were repatriated to Tripoli. Fletcher’s death incident led to the breaking off of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Libya for over a decade.
For most of the 1990s, Libya suffered economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation as a result of Gaddafi’s refusal to allow the extradition to the United States or Britain of two Libyans accused of planting a bomb on pan-am flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland. Through the instrumentality of two of the continent’s most influential and high profile personalities “South Africa’s Nelson Mandela & Ghana’s Kofi Annan”, who visited Gaddafi and negotiated the turn over of the two fugitive, Gaddafi finally agreed to release the two fugitive in 1999 but under condition that the two would be handed over to Netherlands for trial under Scottish law.
Two years after Abdelbaset Ali & Mohammed Al Megrahi’s conviction, (in August 2003), Libya wrote the United Nations formally accepting responsibility for the actions of it citizens in respect of the Lockerbie bombing and agreed to pay compensation of up to $2.7 billion or up to $10 million per person to the families of the 270 victims of the bombing.

There have been some changes in Gaddafi’s politic for some time now. The most obvious was that the once wealthy Libya became much less wealthy when oil prices dropped significantly in the 1990s. At that time, Gaddafi tended to need other countries than usual and could not kick out of foreign aid as he did when oil market was booming. Other possibilities for some of his changes could also be the failure or refusal of his fellow Arabs to subscribe to his idea of Arab Unity, the various arms and revolutionary organizations he supported did not achieve their goals, and the demesne of the Soviet Union that left Gaddafi’s main symbolic target “the United States” stronger than he (Gaddafi) thought or could ever imagine.
In 2003, Gaddafi witnessed the digging out of one of his powerful and closest partners in crime “Iraq’s Saddam Hussein” by U.S. and allied forces in Iraq. The capture of Saddam broke Gaddafi down into extreme fear. He immediately announced that his country “Libya” had active weapons of mass destruction program but was willing to allow international inspectors (the request he had rejected for decades) into his country to observer and dismantle them. U.S. president George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Toni Blair, and other supporters of the Iraq war portrayed Gaddafi as fear for the future of his regime if he continued to be arrogant. Italian Prime Minister Silvia Berlusconi was quoted as saying that Gaddafi had privately called him about the offer to dismantle his “Gaddafi’s” weapon program.
Over the years, Gaddafi has supported a broad range of militant groups including “but not limited to” The Irish Republican Army, The Palestine Liberation, Libyan militant presence in Iraq, Libya’s involvement in several attacks in Europe which led to U.S. Military strike in Libya in 1986, Libya’s involvement in the Lockerbie bombing and many more.
Notable in his politics has been the support for liberation movements, and also sponsoring rebel movements around the very continent he pretend to be so very serious in unifying. In 1989, Gaddafi unleashed Charles Taylor on Liberia with the intention of destabilizing the entire sub-region. Charles Taylor’s rebellious virus soon spread in the sub-region, catching Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’ Ivoire.

After destabilizing most of the West coast of the continent, Gaddafi is now pointing his bloody hand in different direction on the continent. He recently aligned with Kenya, Egypt and Zimbabwe. Gaddafi usually searches for strategy loopholes to use as a means of entry. He used politics, tribalism, religion and poverty to infiltrate the west coast of the continent and now he’s using trade to enter the East and other parts of the continent. Recently, a group of African countries agreed to adapt common external tariffs in an effort to boost trade and move towards a better customs union (BBC Africa). The refusal of countries like Angola, Ethiopia & Uganda to queue to the direction of Gaddafi, citing concerns about the possible impact on their economics was a smart move. Kenya and Zimbabwe either did not understand Gaddafi’s language or decided to take the risk at the detriment of the poor and opposition politicians in the countries. They “Kibaki & Mugabi” pretend to see tariff harmonization as a crucial step towards establishing a full customs union in the region. In few months, few of the signatories to the union are already torn apart by violent and election rigging. Kenya “once known for it peace and stability in the region” was recently seen in flames after Kibaki overtly rigged the elections observers said was won by opposition led by Odinga.
Zimbabwe’s Mugabi, another member of Gaddafi’s tariff union, is the most recent of election rigging battleground. The world is still witnessing the aftermath of Mugabi’s elections stealing while he (Mugabi) is busy arranging business with Gaddafi.

Deportation of other Africans from Libya

Another reason that makes Gaddafi’s deeds far from his rhetoric is the arrest, torture and deportation of other Africans from Libya. As far and much as I can recalled, Ghanaians, Nigerians and other African immigrants have been mishandled and deported from Libya while Gaddafi still fly around the continent preaching rhetoric. In June 1997, about 98 Ghanaians were arrested at various work places and detained for periods between two and three months. During the periods of their detention, according to some of the victims interviewed on local Ghanaian radio stations in Ghana, the detainees were tortured, dehumanized and later deported to Ghana by Libyan security forces.
In November of 2000, hundreds of African immigrants were arbitrarily rounded up in Libya. According to BBC, IRIN, the associated press and other international media, some immigrants were brutally killed to the hands of Libyan security forces. Their possessions were taken from them and later expelled from Libya. Embarrassed over the treatment of his citizens, Ghana’s then President, flight lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings personally flew to Tripoli to take delivery of his citizens aboard a special flight. I was among the group of people (in Accra) that went to witness the arrival of these Ghanaians from Libya.
In 2004, another batch amounting to 251 Ghanaians were again deported from Libya.

For decades now, Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s campaign to mount tele-guided regimes in various African countries has encountered series of frustrations but he still believed that the United States of Africa is a perquisite to African unity. The formation of “the United States of Africa” could be a good idea but the source of the idea remained widely questionable.

By: Sam K. Zinnah
szinnah@yahoo.com

Freeport or hatchetport

By: Sam K Zinnah

The Freeport of Monrovia and the Robert International Airport “two of Liberia’s gateway to its economy” has become mere hustle grounds. When President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took oath on January 16, 2007, she overtly encouraged and invited Liberians in the Diaspora to return home and contribute to the reconstruction of their country that is recovering from more than decade of civil war. During several visits to the United States and other countries around the world, President Sirleaf continuously encouraged Liberians to return home and help with the reconstruction process but many Liberians who have attempted doing business in Liberia ‘over the year’ have complained about the level of bureaucracies and corruption at the Freeport of Monrovia and the Robert International Airport (RIA). Undoubtedly, the security and administrative setting of the various ports of entry in Liberia serves as primary cause of the level of corruption, for in societies where the sigma of venality and gift is progressively attenuated by corrupt and impunity habits, the moral threshold of civil servants becomes remarkably compromised.

The fact that the culture of impunity has been practiced and condoned since the birth of Liberia certainly serves as justification. Condemnation of bureaucratic corruption is not quite enough to contain its practice in Liberia. The facts that both developed and developing nations have laws against bureaucratic corruption suggest a universal indictment of extra-legal and executable/punishable laws against it. Since corruption is essentially an opportunistic behavior and exercised by port workers and administrators in Liberia, a genuine effort to stem it must begin with practical reforms of existing laws, rules of conduct, custom and tradition that govern socio-political and economic relations. For any change to be effective at the various ports of entry in Liberia, it must be drastically enforced and punishable by laws. It is becoming regretful to express to any Liberian abroad who whish to ship anything to Liberia because the various ports of entry to Liberia are now referred to by many Liberians as “worse than hell on earth”.In November of 2006, I shipped a forty footer container (TRIU9199576 seal: 19783641) to Liberia. The container arrived the week of December 24th 2006.

My experience with the Freeport of Monrovia and some custom officers became a painful memory that I will always remember. Upon the arrival of the container, all offices went on the rampage with the intention of grabbing anything as a bribe to let the container out of the port. My custom broker joined the corruption queue and thought that he “and his squad could use the opportunity to empty my pocket or bank account. It is sad that many Liberians who are opportune to share some of the wealth of the west cannot invest in our home country due to the high level of corruption at the various ports in Liberia. Usually, contacting the port authorities does not bring any resolution to one’s problems. The custom duties are irrational and the path of clearance is extremely bribery and corruption. From December 2006 to March 17, 2007, I realized that the port management deliberately delays their process to force storage on customers. The various offices responsible for signing documents are ‘more often then none’ empty.

Deputy Managers who supposed to work for eight to nine hours daily will appeared in their office(s) for two hours and pretend to be holding meetings. After the two hours, they are out for the day. If the custom, security officers, and other port workers “without portfolio” running around the port do not heavily oil the mouth and elbow of their bosses, they run the risk of being transfer to an area where there is absolutely no chopping or assigned unpleasant functions. So, even the biggest boss knows what’s happening in the corners. During my frustrations from December 2006 to May 2007, I was very investigative and determine to expose some of the dark forest operations at the various ports of entry. In January of 2007, my container was scheduled to be release. On the scheduled date, one of the managers insisted that he had not received the tele-release from the shipping line. While I was sitting by my phone and waiting for the latest story about the container, my cell phone rang. When I asked what the latest was? I was told that the container could not be released in the absence of tele-release. I immediately called the New York office of the shipping line and reported the issue. In few minutes, an agent from the shipping line called and confirmed that the tele-release was sent and received by the Monrovia office. A copy was sent to my email address. I forwarded a copy of the document (with all the shipping information) to my agents who later printed the hard copy of the document and took it to the appropriate offices for verifications. Because there was no cash escort, my agents were told that the documents needed to come from New York directly to the port. I was referred to the GEMAP representative (Adlophus Doring) ‘at the time’ in a telephone conversation with Doring, he said the issue was above his jurisdiction. He then referred me to the port Manager. All efforts to get the port manager “Toga Nagana” were futile. While the container case was dragging, Bobby Jimmy “who was supposedly hired by Uriah Glaypo” as custom broker, “with the help of some high ranking port officials”, elbowed his way out of the port with three forty foot containers. Jimmy’s successful exit shows that if corruption has to be combated in any of Liberia’s’ sectors, it must start from the top. These are the same people who in a long time have not only plundered Liberia’s economy, but have done everything to ensure that foreign investors, even Liberians abroad fear investing in Liberia. We should explain our experiences for the public to read if authorities of the National port Authority or the Roberts International Airport finds it frightening to read or considered.The collection of custom duties at the Air and sea ports in Liberia are good idea if the funds are used to improve and maintain the infrastructures but this has not been the case in Liberia. So where do the funds go? Since there is no proper accountability or use of funds collected, this is considered another form of extortion. When customs officers, on a daily basis, take home extorted goods from merchants, what do their spouses or family members say? (sweet heart or darling, a good steal or chopping today ooooo; more grease to your elbows).The incident and extent of bureaucratic corruption is everywhere a function of prevailing levels of political and economic competition. In well-developed democracies with heightened political competition, corruption is relatively rare, and in cases where there is strong evidence of it, the effects are often economically insignificant. This is because corruption is bred and nurtured in secrecy; where there is openness in government coupled with political competition, the rule of law is closely observed, and corruption personally contained (Werlin 1973).

A host of factors account for the notoriously abysmal economic growth rate or the absent of it in Liberia. Underdeveloped human resources, extremely low level of productivity, in ability to attract and sustain direct foreign investment, continuous mismatch of capital and needs, and deplorable infrastructures, but prominent amongst these is corruption.My recent inquiry into some of the causes of corruption in Liberia has made strong connection to the culture of impunity. Much of the problems are rooted in the fact that many people in Liberian society enter Government with very low or no moral character and have little or no respect for public property.
Majority of those in high ranking positions live by the three Gs: Get, Grab & Go. These crooks and hustlers fight tirelessly to get into government positions and then grab whatever opportunities they see and get out of the country “Liberia”.The major reason why these crooks always succeed in getting into high places in government and snatching away people’s or the country’s wealth is because there has been no system by which new and succeeding administrations would be compared by law to pursue and prosecute perpetrators of public crimes in Liberia. Instead, these criminals run away from Liberia and spent some time in foreign country (ies) and later return to Liberia with their stolen riches. They used the same stolen riches to elbow their ways back to public offices and continue their usual routine.The misuse of office by government functionaries is relatively common in Liberia in areas of public procurement, revenue collection, government appointments and contracts, licensing and permits. In these areas of specialty, graft and venality are readily executed through anyone of the following activities:

1. A civil servant receives from a private contractor a fixed percentage of awarded government contracts; the kick back may be in kind or cash paid directly into the beneficiary’s pocket.

2. Police or other law enforcement agents use their offices to extort bribes in lieu of official fees or taxes.

3. Customs agents insist on payment above the official rates or side payment before providing requisite services to both importers and exporters.

One victim who recently returned from Liberia told me “if you want to see how corruption can cripple a society, go to Liberia.” The victim explained how his luggage spent almost a week at the Robert International Airport and was half way empty when he finally took delivery of it. He said, he was asked to pay U.S. $300.00 for his luggage.Another victim “Paul Kennedy” visited Liberia in December and was forced to abandon his luggage at the Robert international Airport. Paul “in a telephone interview upon his return’ told this author that he was discourage, disappointed & disgusted about the way he was treated at the airport in Monrovia. He referred to the situation at the airport as worse & dehumanizing. He said a custom officer asked him to pay USD380.00 for personal effects and gifts that had people names written on.

Recently (April 2008), a family member visited me from Liberia. While here, we prepared few bags of clothes and other things to send to family members back home. When the lady arrived at the Robert international Airport in Liberia, she was told that her luggages did not get on the flight she traveled on. She was told to check back with the airline in couple of days. When she returned, she took delivery of empty luggages. She was confused and “according to her”, did not know what to tell the owners of the content of the luggages. The above two are just few of the hundreds “if not, thousands” of victims.After three months of hustle at the Freeport of Monrovia, my container was finally released on March 17, 2007. Instead of taking the container to the ELWA campus where the container was to be off loaded, it was forced into the Telema fishing company’s yard with custom officers, BIVA representatives, and port securities sweating to enter the container and grab something for them selves. While the container was being off loaded, some custom officers broke into one of the cars and took away a bag containing two laptops. In the process, one bye stander saw one of the laptops being smuggled in notorious Jimmy Bobby’s car. A police officer was called to intervene while the rest of the custom officers, BIVA representatives, and port securities were left unattended to. While in the process of investigating the mysterious disappearance of the laptop bag, one of the cars from the container (a 1995 black Toyota 4 runner) mysteriously disappeared from the Telema fence. Witnesses or bystanders saw one custom officer driving the 4 running toward the port. I immediately called StarRadio, Daily Observer, & other media institutions and reported the incident. When some reporters arrived at the port, they were told that there was unpaid storage on the container but how the arrangement was made to get the container out of the port remains the misery of the century. After series of investigations by reporters and friends, it was finally discovered that the 1995 Toyota 4 runner was in the process of being covertly bought by notorious Bobby Jimmy. According to Jimmy, Uriah Glaypo took USD5000.00 from him “Jimmy” and promised to give him the 4 runner in exchange. Bobby confessed after a family member of mine (with some authority) intervened and threatened to have Jimmy place behind bars if he did not tell the actual story. After Jimmy’s confession, he was taken to a neutral location and made to call his partner in crime “Uriah Glaypo” on a number and from a number that was only know to members of his criminal group. Uriah immediately answered his phone from his hide out. Not knowing what was going on, Uriah was asked to proceed to a destination that was described to him by Jimmy. He “Uriah” appeared in less than thirty minutes. When he arrived, he was surrendered by Police Officers and handcuffed. He ‘along with Jimmy’ were taken to the Police headquarters in Monrovia where they were placed on criminal bench and interrogated for few hours. They were later released and asked to release the 4runner from the port or be brought back to prison.From the week of December 24, 2006, the last car was finally released from the Freeport of Monrovia on May 5th, 2007. To date, several items from the container including one of the laptops is still at large.

Sekou Korleh’s legacy in Philadelphia

Prior to his appointment at the Freeport of Monrovia, Sekou Korleh served as one of the leaders of the Pennsylvania Youth Association, a local Liberian organization based in Philadelphia. Few months after his election to the post, Sekou was linked to a $6000.00 scandal. According to some insiders of the association, Sekou and his Boss (whose name will remain withheld until challenged) converted the association’s money into their personal use. That issue was dragged until Sekou left the U.S. for Liberia.
Sekou is just one of the many Philadelphia based Liberian politicians or job seekers who have fought over the years to form part of the economic looting gang that move to Liberia to swallow anything that comes their way.
Samuel Wlue, Dean Wilson, Chris Taylor, Edward Slanger, Garrison Togba and many others can still be garishly remembered for their massive economic looting in Liberia. They all left from Philadelphia under the pretext of being patriots but behind the scenes, their true identities are well written on all walls of Liberia.
With the placement of Unity Party’s no nonsense giant “Mary Broh” as DMD at the National Port Authority, most of us “Liberians” in the Diaspora ‘especially some victims like me, Morris Dogba and many others’, we anxiously await the days we can once more be proud of our FREEPORT and not script.

Why Liberian Refugees refused integration into Ghanaian Society

By: Semantics King Jr., Minneapolis

Ghanaians have always made the world or at least Africans to believe that the proverbial Ghanaian “Akwaba” is genuine and obviously observable when people from other countries are living or temporarily resident on Ghanaian soil.
And there is no doubt about how they sing praises with how hospitable, friendly and accommodating Ghanaians are. They pride themselves as being true Africans.
There was no wonder then, when victims of Liberia’s civil war decided to seek refuge in this hospitable African country in the early ‘90s.
When the first batch of 25 Liberian refugees arrived in Ghana in 1990, Ghanaians under the able leadership of Ghana’s president, Jerry John Rawlings who also later became the chairman of the regional body of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), openly accepted the Liberians.
Though this writer was not a member of that first group of refugees, he spoke to some surviving members of that group of people and found that Ghanaians even offered the refugees their personal homes to live in, gave them food to eat and even helped some to attend school in Ghana at the expense of some Ghanaian hosts.
In fact, when some Liberians were stranded on sea in 1996 onboard the Bulk Challenge Ship during Liberia’s shortest but fiercest war in central Monrovia, other west African countries refused to allow the ship land with the huge number of suffering and hungry Liberian refugees on their soil but Ghana did.
And there may be several other stories never heard of on how some Ghanaians assisted their Liberian African neighbors (it’s only Ivory Coast that is between Ghana and Liberia in terms of geographic locations and English is spoken in Ghana as in Liberia unlike Ivory Coast).
Therefore someone reading this might say wow that was great help given Liberians in Ghana. So getting adjusted or (as the UN refugee agency calls it) integrated into Ghanaian society should not be a problem for any Liberian refugee in Ghana.
Oh sure enough if you consider the above accounts which have been made public by many Ghanaians and even some Liberians.
But there is the other side of the coin. That side is always hidden and perhaps a secret that nobody dares talk about. No.
This writer,then himself a refugee but a relatively dispassionate journalist who lived and worked in Ghana from 2000 to 2006, knows all too well events that happened in the Liberian refugee camp and even those in Ghanaian communities because he traveled across all regions of Ghana and worked with a few Ghanaian dailies in Accra.
In May 2000, there was a serious scuffle between the Liberian refugees in Buduburam and the Ghanaian police force. During that time, live bullets were fired at Liberian refugees and when arguably Ghana’s best radio station Joy F.M reported about how Ghanaian police over-reacted to the refugee situation in the camp, it broadcast vividly describing the situation on air and it’s reporter that saw the incident said that was inhumane.
Unfortunately, however, that particular news item was withdrawn during the subsequent newscast on Joy F.M. leaving many discerning listeners to wonder what was happening to Joy since it has a custom of repeating news items regularly but not this one.
The incident involving the police and the refugees that day arose when refugees had captured a Ghanaian who was using long-pointed iron(used in Africa to kill frogs at night) to harm and eventually kill the refuges at night.
Due to the heat in Ghana coupled with the fact that most of the houses that refugees lived in were built with mud, living or sleeping in them at night can be a real oven. Therefore, the refugees used to leave their windows opened at night to catch the mid-night cozy breeze that would put them to sleep.
It was during this time that a Ghanaian was arrested harming another Liberian refugee family at night and turned over to the Camp Police.
Unfortunately, however, the police refused to prosecute the Ghanaian as he was released without any explanation from the Ghanaian authority in the refugee camp, so the refugees were clamoring for justice to be meted against him. But the police refused and the refugees said they wouldn’t leave the camp police station. Reinforcement was called from the nearby Military based and began firing directly at the refugees. Many were wounded severely.
Between 2001 and 2002, several children were reported missing and up to now there are no reports indicating they have been found at all.
On February 23, 2003 Ghana police forcefully rounded all men age 15 up on the soccer patch after one of Ghana’s newspapers, The Chronicles reported that Buduburam was a training base for fighters in the war in Ivory Coast. No weapons were found among the refugees. They were however, threatened by Ghana’s military commander, Brigadier General Danquah.
During that early morning raid, police and sniffer dogs including war helicopter were used to round up the men. The men remained in the scorching sun from 4am till 6pm Ghana time. Nobody condemn Ghana for violating the rights of refugees.
Before releasing the refugee men, security forces subjected them to insults, and branded them as criminals, rebels, and armed robbers, prostitutes and drug-traffickers.
In order instances, refugees have been arrested unjustly and incarcerated in prisons without due process of law. Reports from families indicate that some of the refugees were taken away by Ghana police and have never been seen since.
In Oct 2005 James Miller, a young and brilliant Liberian man was murdered in Awutu, a village near the refugee camp and his body parts cut into pieces like market meat. His killers are still at large.
Prior to that gruesome murder, several Liberian kids were found dead in the refugee camp with some of their body parts taken away by their killers for ritualistic reasons
In March 2006, a beautiful Liberian refugee woman, Joyce Wilson was killed in a hotel in Accra and her killers are still at large even today.
Although the camp Manager Cal Afun who is a Ghanaian said in a mass camp residents meeting at the Refuge Baptist Church that “nobody had the right to kill her”, Ghana police investigations continue without establishing the killers.
As if Joyce’s murder was not enough, another Liberian refugee woman, 30-year-old Amelia Gymulnee-Whitersoon was allegedly stabbed and burned to death on June 8,2006 at 10pm Ghanaian time in the refugee camp.
In April 2006,a 48-year-old Ghanaian man, Kojo Antwi allegedly raped a nine-year-old Liberian refugee girl while she was returning home from school in the camp. The case is still pending in Ghana as we speak.
Then in July, just before this writer left the refugee camp for the United States on July 26,2006,another Liberian refugee woman, Linda Johnson was nearly killed in Accra by some Ghanaian men had it not been God’s grace. Today, the attempted killers are moving about freely in the land of Gold.
The chairman of the Liberian Refugee Welfare Council, Varney Sambola asked as rhetorical question during one of the camp residents’ meetings, and I wish to reecho the same question, “when will enough be enough?” Where are the authorities both UNHCR and Ghana? When will the investigations end and the culprits brought to justice? When will violence against Liberian refugee women be as unacceptable as all other forms of violence?
I ask each one of you reading this article to just take a moment and think about the hardships that Liberian refugees in general but Liberian refugee women in Ghana in particular face with the passing of each day?
Do you think any Liberian refugee in Ghana experiencing such abuses will be willing and able to integrate in Ghanaian society?
Liberian refugees who were accepted to further their education at the University of Ghana, Legon are asked to pay their tuitions in foreign fees (almost $27,000united States dollars) while their Ghanaian counter-parts pay in Ghanaian cedis (less than a million cedis per semester or so). Is that a sign of integration for Liberian refugees?
In June 2007, the Nigerian government asked Liberian refugees and Sierra Leonean refugees who refused to return home to integrate in Nigerian society and the refugees accepted. Why? Because refugees from those countries had been enormously helped by the Nigerian people, Nigerian churches and even Nigerian government.
Those refugees attending Nigerian Universities pay their tuition in Naira and not United States dollars as in Ghana just the same amounts that Nigerian nationals are paying for higher education. Many Liberian refugees and Sierra Leonean refugees are offered well-paying jobs in Nigeria.
We have not heard of reports about how Liberian refugees in Nigeria are being killed by unknown men or people despite the fact that Nigeria has a very high crimes rate.
When the women refugees were demonstrating for increment to $1,000 in their repatriation package or they be resettled to third countries of asylum, a request that was directed at the UNHCR and not the government and people of Ghana, these were reactions from some Ghanaians all over the world.
“I think it’s time for the government of Ghana to send these guys out without any regards to international laws,” writes Prince, a Ghanaian in the United States.
“Stupid fools, western countries indeed. I don’t think Ghanaians can do this in any country, look at Libya even Gambia doing to our people over there. God bless Ghana.”
Another Ghanaian, Steve Acquah wrote on MyJoyOnline “these guys are crazy. They (Ghana government) have to throw them back to Liberia. Who told them to fight and become refugees? Ahhhh, in the first place, they (refugees) have not contributed in anyway to help in the development of our great country. They must be kicked out. Look at the way other African countries treat us when we are there….”
Ablorh Adjei, another Ghanaian wrote: “I think it’s time we tell the Liberians at Buduburam to go home and help rebuild their country rather than encourage them to stay in Ghana doing nothing”, he said online.
“We have had enough of them and their actions. They must go before they turn around and tell us in December that they are being prevented from voting in the presidential and Parliamentary elections.”
Another Ghanaian, only identified as Baby, reacting to a comment made by another said “you are very funny to say the kind of trash you are rattling about. What freedom of speech gives these ingrates the rights to demand and complain so badly? I surely presume you are a Liberian yourself because no right thinking Ghanaian would bring out such thrash” Baby said.
“Let these people go back to Liberia and help Johnson Sirleaf and co rebuild the country Charles Taylor destroyed, after all what other benefits other than chasing our married men, prostitution, and armed robbery we are getting from them. If you want to settle to Europe, first visit your equally peace hating Iraq and proceed from there. God is watching all you Liberians who seem ungrateful after all we have done for you, your rewards await you Western world indeed you chaotic lots. Please send these people back to Monrovia before they petition the UN of our devoiding them of their rights to vote as Liberian born Ghanaians.”
Another Ghanaian claiming to be writing from the United Kingdom who only identified himself as Asempa wrote, “These Liberians are first class ingrates. The government should dispose of them from Sikaman Ghana as rubbish with immediate effect otherwise, I will also mobilize some people from Kasoa, Weija and Buduburam camp area for counter demonstration against these ungrateful idiots,” he said.
“Can any of these idiots justify their demands? What had been their contribution to the local economy apart from prostitution and armed robbery? Liberia is safe now so they should go away as soon as possible.”
These are the people among whom UNHCR or the government of Ghana expect Liberian refugees to live. Is that not clear sign that integration for Liberian refugees in Ghanaian society would be even more disastrous than what is unfolding now?
Many Liberian refugees have been killed by cars while walking to the roadside to search for water. Records I met in Ghana indicate that for the last 10 years, Liberian refugees were deprived of pipe-borne water.
As a result, many risked their lives in search of water from boreholes, streams and other unhygienic sources.
Regarding shelter, refugees have built their own structures using their own means and money sent to them by relatives and friends from abroad over the last 18 years.
Many refugees are forced to pay taxes on their own homes by greedy Landowners and chiefs.
Though UNHCR has its name and banners over the camp with inscriptions such as “all UNHCR services are free”, refugees continue to pay for healthcare at the clinic and for shelter.
Many refugees who cannot afford the almost $50 charged them resort to over-the-counter treatment which often leads to health complications and fatalities.
On sanitation, although there are many latrines in the camp, each refugee wanting to attend to nature needs to pay 100 cedis, which is costly for many who can’t afford because they also need to look and pay for water and food.
Consequently, many refugees are victims of threats and attacks in the bushes and what is also called the “Gulf”(open space where they go to attend nature which is free) but requires distant walking and it’s risky.
Latrines and bathrooms were meant to be managed by refugees they(refugees), however, they have been taken over by Ghanaians, thereby limiting the potential employment of many refugees in the camp.
Education is a basic right to all refugee children in primary schools under domestic law. Not only have primary students been paying school fees, they have also been exempted from school feeding programs provided to all primary students in Ghana.
Due to lack of income from refugee parents, hundreds of children are unable to acquire basic education in the refugee camp.
Most alarming however, is the blatant lack of capacity building measures by UNHCR and the Christian Council of Ghana (a government agency responsible for refugee education).
Their programs supposed to equip refugees with skills needed for self-reliance and economic development. However, the limited training programs in the refugee camp lack resources, materials and internship programs.
Readers, how can Ghanaians expect the refugees to integrate into their society when very little has been done to offer them employment and skill development? When Ghanaians only pretend to like people or Liberians through their lips and not from their hearts?
What has happened to the so-called free enterprise market system that Ghana so proudly boasts about?
When refugee women who are forced to become the bread-winners of their various families in the camp are kicked out of their own Buduburam market by Ghanaian women, who claim “this is my country, get the hell out”, how is s refugee woman to make a living and support her family?
Although Ghana appears to be a stable and peaceful country in West Africa, the same cannot be said for the life of Liberian refugees in the camp. Because of the last 10 years, as already mentioned, refugees have been direct victims of serious attacks by unknown persons since 2000 when UNHCR withdrew all support for Liberian refugees in Ghana.
When Liberian refugees are continuing to experience abuse, intimidation and murder from many Ghanaians, does this not clearly indicate the xenophobia of Ghanaians to accept the Liberian refugees into their society?
Is it not apparent to you readers and the government of Ghana that these events make it obvious that Ghanaians are unwilling to co-exist with the Liberian refugees in the so-called integration process?
All forms of violence breach the very fundamental human rights covenants enshrined in the convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Liberian refugees in Buduburam, Ghana have the right to equal protection under the law. Why are they not being protected? Anyone abusing others’ rights is acting against the law. Therefore I called on the authorities of the Western World and International Organizations to ensure that the law is respected because women’s and refugees’ rights are human rights.

More arrest and deportation at Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana

By Semantics King Jr.,Minnespolis Ghana’s Police force at about 3am Ghanaian time today began arresting Liberian refugee men including those with the joint Government of Ghana and UNHCR issued identification cards. Reports say those without I.D.cards will be send back to Liberia in a day or two since they are not refugees. Ghana’s deputy foreign Minister, Frank Agyekum told Ghanaians that the 35 Liberian men arrested this morning are not refugees but are a part of agroup formenting trouble.He said they will be repatriated to Liberia. But according to an eye witness,(his name is withheld for some security reasons) who spoke to NewLiberian.com from his hiding place through his cellphone, though it ’s still unclear what prompted the renewed arrests,he thinks Ghana is arresting and contemplating forcefully repatriating the refugees because of what some Ghanaians called Liberians ungratefulness. Our Source said Ghana Police began going from house to house to effect the arrests as there is no authority in the camp as he spoke to us.He said Police even went to the St.Gregory Catholic Clinic in the refugee camp run by UNHCR and arrested some patients who were on critical medical list that needed urgent medical attention . Our Source said the men arrested this morning were taken to Burma Camp near the capital, Accra. Meanwhile a 54-year old Liberian refugee woman was also arrested this morning while on her way to Accra. Her son, Issac Fahnbulleh who spoke to NewLiberian.com from his cell phone said his mother; Sonne Kaba was arrested when she went to pick up the Liberian flag that Ghanaian Police had thrown on the ground. He said while his mother was walking on the road, she saw Ghanaian Police pull down the Liberian flag and began to tear it into pieces. She rushed to save her country’s flag from being destroyed but Ghana Police advised her not to touch it. She refused and she was arrested. There are three flags flown at the offices of the Liberian Refugee Welfare Council in the refugee camp. A Ghanaian, UNHCR and Liberian flags. Of the three, Isaac said, only the Liberian flag was pull down. Almost a month ago, a group of Liberian refugee women began protesting a UNHCR repatiation package which they said was not enough to allow them rebuild their lives and begin Life anew in Liberia. They asked the UNHCR to provide each of them with $1000USD or they should be resettled to third countries of asylum. They refused to be integrated into Ghanaian society because Ghanaians don’t like them. Two pregnant women among a number of Liberian refugees seized by Ghanaian security agents are reported to have had miscarriages at the Kodeabe Youth Camp in the Eastern Region where they are being held. Two others have suffered scorpion bites, and according to Nana Oye Lithur of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, conditions are simply appalling for the refugees. Another woman who had diarrhea was only saved by the intervention of a human rights activist who called the commander of the security unit for her to get medical attention.About 600 demonstrating refugees were on Monday arrested at their Gomoa Buduburam Camp and carted to Kodeabe by security forces after they spurned Interior Ministry warnings to cease the demonstrations because they contravened the Public Order Act. Nana Oye Lithur of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, who spoke in Accra on Thursday March 21, 2008, said the government itself was violating the Constitution by holding the refugees beyond the legally permissible period of 24 hours for arrests and detentions.She said since their arrest, the refugees are yet to be charged before any court, arguing that even if their case was a special one, it still remained the prerogative of the courts to decide their fate, and not even the President, let alone the Interior Minister. The Human rights activist said “not even the President of the Republic of Ghana can go against the Constitution, nobody and more so a Minister of Interior. That is why we have the courts to ensure that the powers of Government are balanced with the individual rights and these Constitutional provisions are entrenched in our Constitution and it is for these very reasons that we have them entrenched and that is why the Minister of the Interior should take the matter to court for the courts to decide. And he has to inform the courts why he is still holding them beyond the 48 hours rule. We are not talking about whether they are refugees or not, we are talking about the fact that he is violating the Constitution and detaining people in custody beyond 48 hours and their conditions are not good enough, they are deplorable if you ask me. They are deplorable from what I saw today and that is not right,” Nana Oye said”.She added that tents housing the refugees had no underlay and it exposed them to a lot of danger.Nana Oye Lithur said even if the government intended to deport the refugees, there were procedures that did not allow the abuse of the rights of the refugees. She therefore urged the Interior Ministry to respect the Constitution and go to court if it intended to press charges since their current state left their lives in danger. Refugees claimed they have lived in Ghana for the past 18 years, yet Ghana was not able to feed them, send them to school or even provide basic human services to them. Therefore, they believe integration into Ghanaian society would be a hard fight for them. Reports just reaching NewLiberian.com indicate that 30 Liberians have been repatriated to Monrovia and would arrive there between 5:30pm and 6pm Liberian time. Of the 30,21 are men while nine are women. Liberia’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that 30 of its citizens would be arriving in the country today. Please keep your explorer on NewLiberian.com as we will bring you all the latest news as it happens in the Liberian refugee camp in Ghana. Sam K.Zinnah from Deleware also helped to compile this report