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Ex-Fighters Raid Villages In Bong Terrorize Residents, Loot Properties

The Analyst (Monrovia)
NEWS
January 24, 2005
Posted to the web January 24, 2005

A large community in central Liberia is living in constant fear of harassment
and terrorism at the hands of former fighters of disbanded warring factions,
local authorities informed our correspondent.
They say marketers and residents in Kokoyah District, Bong County, often take
to their heels when former fighters use deadly weapons to threaten them.
Mr. Joseph Welteh, Commissioner of the District told our correspondent that
most of the hair plaited ex-combatants swung into action last Tuesday and
raided a densely populated market in Kokoyah District, leaving thousands of
marketers to flee the area.
Several thousand dollars worth of goods were either damaged or looted.
Welteh further said the former fighters constantly terrorize residents of
Gboeborn, Gbecorn, Botoeta, Rock Crusher and other smaller towns despite the
presence of civil authority in the area.
When asked why his office could not bring the situation under control, the
Commissioner said "My brother, those guys are loose. Killing is part of their
tradition. So nobody can stand before them, except the international police
force", he emphasized.
The town of Dean, popularly known as "Gold Camp" in that district, has a host
of former fighters, who are allegedly involved in the mining of gold and other
precious minerals, The camp has also been referred to as "Cow Boy Camp" where
lawlessness is the order of the day.
Welteh said, the absence of the United Nations peacekeepers in the District has
created ways for former fighters to "harass and terrorize the already suffering
people who were just beginning to rebuild their destitute lives." Reciting
another incident, Welteh said a man only identified as Saturday was recently
chopped on his back and leg, allegedly by a former militia still referring to
himself as "War Face" for Saturday's refusal to pay back his red palm oil.
When quizzed whether the "house of correction" was in his district, Welteh
responded in the negative.
He added by saying "That is in Gbarnga. Those guys broke the jail house and ran
away. Do you build a jail house in this bush? Are you serious"?
Meanwhile, the Commissioner has appealed to Justice Ministry authorities and
UNMIL to deploy police in the area to curtail the mass migration of residents
from the district to

   

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