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Madness!

The Analyst (Monrovia)
NEWS
May 18, 2004
Posted to the web May 18, 2004
Monrovia
The DDRR programme that started last December only to hit the rocks and become
grounded when authorities of UNMIL and NCDDRR realized, much to the agony of
Paynesville and ELWA residents, that too many ex-combatants turned out for
disarmament than they planned to handle. One problem was that they ran out of
everything, from cash to lodging quarters, before the process actually began.
Following nearly five months of study break, the process resumed with
assurances from both NTGL and UNMIL that all loopholes were plugged and that
the incidents of October and December last years would not be repeated.
Ex-combatants will be processed in cantonment centers, those presenting their
arms would get US$150 on the spot and another rehabilitation package three
months later after screening, medication, training, and so on and so forth. The
new procedure was graded acceptable by both the ex-combatants and the public
who were all the most anxious for the process to begin. But it is only 32 days
now since the process began and already, the loopholes seem to be popping open
if events of yesterday in Paynesville are anything to go by.
Ex-fighters of the former Government of Liberia (GOL) seem to be reminding
Liberians and UNMIL that they still have the capacity to cause havoc at will if
their wishes are not met on time. With Fred Mills, the Analyst Staff Writer
looks at the implication of the riot that popped in the wake of so much
precaution and assurances.
It is about 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 17, 2004. A small crowd forms about the Red
Light Market area and few are trickling in along the route to ELWA Junction on
to Oldest Congo Town. The crowd soon merges, fans out, and becomes rowdy,
making demands, and shouting threats.
Within an hour, it was clear that a dangerous cloud was forming over the city
once again, reminding observers of the two days of sporadic shooting last
December that rocked the Monrovia suburb of Paynesville and ELWA and left five
persons killed, properties looted or damaged, and the official vehicle of the
ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria damaged.
Marketers, taking cue from similar gatherings, frantically packed their goods
as store owners bolted their doors. But not before the crowd became wild and
tumultuous.
Meanwhile, UNMIL military and Formed Police Units of CIVPOL IPS caught wind of
the forming chaos and rushed to the scene. But eyewitnesses said all they were
capable of doing at this late point was to engage in damage control.
The presence of the police and military officers seemed to have exacerbated the
situation as the mixed crowd of youth carrying sticks, knives, automatic rifles
presumed not functional, stones which they threw randomly, and clubs, was well
out of their control.
As the crowd of mainly youthful marchers swelled, they began snatching cell
phones, watches, and at one point, even attempted commandeering commercial
vehicles.
One account says they held several innocent passers-by hostage, perhaps to use
them as human shield against military response. Those held were reportedly
released later, eyewitnesses said.
When the situation finally subsided four hours later official accounts say one
person was battered to death while several persons, mostly innocent passers-by
caught in the melee, were injured, others severely.
"But what went wrong?" is the question that perplexed observers are asking.
Accounts vary, but one account that has so far been corroborated by several
sources say ex-combatants of the former GOL who were disarmed last December
without compensation had gathered yesterday to demand same.
According to the accounts, some ex-fighters who felt abandoned and left out of
the whole DDRR process, gathered in the Paynesville area with the hope of being
taking to cantonment sites in Brewerville or elsewhere so that the issue of
their compensation would be discussed.
"But when they met some of the UNMIL commanders (not named), the commanders
told them that ongoing the DDRR program was for those who have not been
process.
The UNMIL commanders told the boys to go home and wait for their time. But the
ex-fighters refused, arguing that they were the first to give their arms and
that they should be the first to be catered to. It is then that they began
shouting slogans and blocking the major route from Red Light to ELWA. But it
seems some "grow-now boys" (street boys) joined and the whole thing turned into
looting and stealing," said J.
Claimed another stander-by: "The violence started at a slow pace as a peaceful
demonstration as a means of alerting the international community of the need to
settle their balance disarmament money. But the UNMIL people that came around
failed to handle the situation before it got out of hand." Commenting on the
riot that offset the calm of the city and left one killed and several injured,
Acting Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Owonibi insinuated that the situation
may have been overlooked by UNMIL.
"The truth of the situation is they were not expected to turn up today. Sector
One is still handling the category of those with arms and ammunitions. And this
category is currently going through the disarmament and demobilization...." he
noted in an interview with UNMIL Radio last evening.
While the public and international observers are awaiting full explanation
regarding what actually went wrong such that a sizable number of ex-combatants
who claim rights to compensation were left unattended to, observers are
expressing fears that unless UNMIL and NCDDRR authorities harmonize their
public relations blitz with the reality of the situation on the ground, the
DDRR process is liable to suffer another devastating setback.
An assessment of prevailing conditions at cantonments sites in VOA and
Tubmanburg conducted by this paper seems to suggest that tension is slowly
building up amongst ex-combatants at those sites some of whom are claiming that
they are yet to receive health kits, let alone to receive the initial
compensation of US$150.00 as promised by UNMIL and NCDDRR.
While the assessment is inclusive, analysts say it would be fatal to overlook
it.

   

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