[allAfrica.com] [The_Leon_H._Sullivan_Summit_Dinner] Warmongers Meet in Guinea Again, UNMIL Searches Aicha's Home; What is Afoot? The Analyst (Monrovia) NEWS May 20, 2004 Posted to the web May 20, 2004 Monrovia Mrs. Aicha Keita Conneh, the ring-leader for the replacement of Finance Minister, Lusinee Kamara, left the country Tuesday this week for Conakry, Guinea. She left the country less then 36 hours after it became apparent that the "Executive Committee" of LURD had failed in its bid to replace Finance Minister, Lusinee Kamara. Many thought the President of Guinea, Lansanna Conte who is the chief mentor of Aicha, had invited her for consultation perhaps to urge her to relinquish her claims to the Finance Ministry post. But if information available to The Analyst is any yardstick, then it is clear that Aicha is not taking her "humiliation" at the hands of NTGL Chairman Gyude Bryant lying down, and neither is President Conte intervening in the replacement hullabaloo any way. As The Analyst's roving reporter, Mike Jabateh, reports, several LURD frontline commanders are headed for Guinea today to meet Mrs. Aicha in order to plan fresh military tactics. The question many are asking now is, "What is afoot?" LURD frontline commanders, Generals Mohammed Keita, Mustapha Donzo, Sidiki Conneh, Edward Farley, and Soriba Kamara, amongst many others are reportedly leaving Liberia this morning for the Guinean capital, Conakry, to meet with Mrs. Aicha Keita Conneh. Surprisingly, according to observers, a battle group commander of the former Government of Liberia (GOL) and one of Charles Taylor's trusted fighters named "Gen. Turtle Bone" is reportedly amongst those gathering in Conakry today for the meeting. According to a LURD insider who spoke with our reporter, Mrs. Conneh sent for the generals to review the activities of LURD and possibly to plan fresh military strategies relative to how they can make their decisions respected by the NTGL, UNMIL, and the international peace-brokers such as ICGL, EU, and ECOWAS. It is not known what impact the meeting will have minus the most vocal "LURD Executive Committee" that has been fighting frantically over the last few weeks to replace Finance Minister Lusinee Kamara with Cabinet Director Soko V. Sackor. But our sources said Achia has become so despondent with the political wing of LURD, which is apparently split into splinter cliques, that she has now dumped all confidence in the military supposedly headed by General Services Agency (GSA) Director, Edward Farley. Reportedly the chief financier of the LURD movement, Aicha Conneh tried in vain over the last five months to control the activities of LURD and make her opinion a force to reckon within Liberian military politics. Mrs. Conneh who, until recently was widely reported to back the disarmament process through donation of money, rice, and clothes to ex-combatants and other needy in society, got infuriated by the rejection of Soko Sackor for the finance post. Even her fence mending activities that involved flirting with and coaxing her former battlefront "enemies" in the Taylor militias now seemed abandoned. But observers believe it is not, as there is something more sinister to the flirting and coaxing than meet the eyes. Some say she is contemplating a possible merger for military adventurism; where, they cannot say. Recently Aicha surprised observers when she reportedly mourned the death of former Taylor frontline commander simply known as Gen. Dolo by donating 200 bags of rice and US20,000.00 toward his funeral service through Defense Minister Daniel Chea.. In another development, UNMIL yesterday searched the home of Mrs. Conneh. The reason for the search was not disclosed, but residents in the Sinkor 15th Street area where she resides hinted this paper that UNMIL got tip-offs that she was stockpiling arms in the vicinity. They would not elaborate. Whether the search is related to Aicha's abrupt departure shortly after the NTGL refused to grant her wish or not, is not known. But according to some 15th Street residents who spoke with our reporter, the pre-dawn search which lasted more than an hour did not turn up any weapons or anything incriminating. UNMIL could, however, not be reached to deny or corroborate the accounts of the residents. Meanwhile there are mixed public reactions to the news of Aicha's constant trips to Guinea for consultation with President Conte or to plan strategies while she is claiming to be a Liberian citizen. While some believe her trips will have little or no impact on the current peace process, others are worried that it may not only throw a monkey's wrench into the disarmament process, but that it may also lead to renewed fighting thereby reversing the present political arrangements. "Aicha can't do anything to the peace process. God is in control of this country and there will be no more war. Anyone who tries anything funny that will person will die. All Liberians need to do now is to continue to pray and trust God. With God, nothing is impossible," said "Evangelist" Thomas J. Kparkollie of Sayon Town. But another Liberian believes God has always been there even while bad things happen to good people. "Yes, we can pray and trust God. But we cannot overlook the evil elements in our society. Aicha paid these boys to subject our people to death, displacement, mayhem, and torture for close to six years, yet she is not tired. She still has the ability to do more harm. We hear she has ordered large quantities of arms back to Guinea. What do you think she did that for? For the fun of it? Those who think the process is irreversible and are playing the opossum are playing with fire. The best that the NTGL and UNMIL can do now is to preempt her plans by launching a two-prone attack. While the NTGL engages President Lasannah Conte, UNMIL should be combing the forests along the Guinea- Liberia border to detect any military movement or build-up. Or who knows?" Said Jonah J. Saweah of Barnersville. This is the second time in less than six months that Aicha is meeting in Conakry with select individuals and the first time meeting exclusively with notorious frontline commanders. The first was early this year when she met with House Speaker George Dweh, Justice Minister Kabinah Ja'neh, and Port Director Chyee Doe, amongst other top-ranking LURD nominees in the NTGL. Decisions from that meeting were withheld from the Liberian public. What this meeting with frontline commanders means for the peace process may not be known for several more weeks, but analysts are unanimous that where there is smoke, there is bound to be fire, suggesting that a meeting of war-poachers can only breed war.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2004 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================