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Monrovia in Turmoil

The Analyst (Monrovia)
NEWS
November 1, 2004
Posted to the web November 1, 2004

- Thugs Overtake the city; Dweh, Ja'neh, Kanneh Flee
An overnight violence that began in Paynesville Thursday quickly spread across
Somalia Drive, Congo Town and central Monrovia, resulting to an inestimable
volume of property damage and the death of several persons.
Areas destroyed were places of worship, business centers and some private
homes.
UNMIL's initial response to the attacks was the deployment of the civilian
police and formal police units who used teargas to disperse a group of
disorderly people that was involved in disturbances. Sources said, however,
that no sooner had the police withdrew from the flashpoints of the violence,
than the vandals regrouped to continue their activities.
The situation escalated with irate youths going on looting sprees, burning
worship houses, business centers and private dwellings in Paynesville and
Gardnersville suburbs of Monrovia.
The violence continued Friday morning with larger groups in the sprawling
Duala, New Krutown, and Logan Town areas joining the fray. They set up
barricades. The violence then spread to the city center with crowds of people
looting and burning worship houses, business centers and dwelling.
By 11 0'clock on Friday morning, Chairman Gyude Bryant imposed a curfew "with
immediate effect", ordering UNMIL and national security forces to deal "firmly
and rigidly" with anyone found involved in vandal activities.
Bryant urged residents to remain indoors as security forces tried to contain
the situation. He also authorized UNMIL to explore necessary means "within the
rules of engagement" to halt the threatening violence.
UN envoy Jacques Klein then came in with orders to both the UNMIL police units
and military troops to deploy at all affected areas of the violence and to
react with "maximum force - and this means shoot to kill to any activity of
violence against innocent civilians".
In addition, Klein ordered UNMIL to enforce the curfew "approachable to all
residents in Monrovia" as declared by Chairman Bryant. All Liberians and
international personnel in Monrovia were asked to observe the curfew, as it
would be "strictly enforced" Any unauthorized person, found loitering the
streets and communities during the curfew hours, would be considered a part of
the "criminal elements" of the ongoing violence, Klein warned. Meantime, the
circumstances of the violence remain unclear. But unconfirmed reports said the
violence stemmed from a land dispute between some people of the Mandingo tribe
and others.
The latest violence is the first of its kind in Monrovia since the end of the
14-year intermittent fighting in July last year.
The violence coincides with the expiry of the October 31 deadline for the
disarmament of the country's rebels and disbandment of their groups. However,
no word has come from UNMIL, which had resisted calls for the extension of the
deadline to allow fighters in remote parts of the country disarm. But Bryant
insisted that anyone found with arms effective Monday, November 1, with be
considered illegally possessing arms and dealt with accordingly.
At the same time several round of firearms were reportedly found with a group
of people on Bushrod Island over the weekend.
The latest upsurge of violence came as the UNHCR announced plans to repatriate
thousands of Liberians who fled the fighting in their homeland to seek refuge
in neighboring states. But it remains unclear whether the repatriation exercise
will go on as scheduled in the face of the ongoing violence.
UN agencies had also anticipated the resettlement of tens of thousand of
internal displaced people within few days, reintegrate former combatants and
prepare for presidential and general elections next October.
On what extent the latest violence will have on the peace process remains a
conjecture.
Meanwhile, latest reports reaching our news desk say that some key figures
within the rebel Liberia United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) have
fled the country to neighboring states.
They include NTLA Speaker George Dweh, Transport Minister Vamba Kanneh and
Justice Minister Kabineh Ja'neh. They are the key members of a group opposed to
the LURD chairman Sekou Conneh. They were reported to have been flown to
Freetown, Sierra Leone. Yesterday for unspecified reasons.
Their departure followed reports that the houses of both the Transport Minister
and Justice Minister were burnt allegedly by irate youths of the Mandingo
tribe.

   

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