LIBERIA: CONCERNS ABOUT PROSPECTS OF CHANGE AND GROWTH

HUMANITAS GLOBALCOMMISSION FOR AFRICA
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Press Release
November 17, 2003

POST-WAR LIBERIA: CONCERNS ABOUT PROSPECTS OF CHANGE AND GROWTH

The West African State of Liberia is recuperating from widespread destruction of lives and properties. There is passive cessation of hostilities throughout the country and the unguided Accra peace agreement signed in Ghana by the parties - Government of Liberia, MODEL and LURD - to the country's bloody conflict seems to be taking minimum effect, though on the bogus terms of the recalcitrant warlords.
However, the fundamental issues, questions and concerns underlying the realization of any form of lasting peace and security for the country are sidelined to the advantage of the country's recurrent criminals. The primary driving force in Liberia today is how an individual, regardless of educational/professional competence, moral standing and experience; can obtain his/her share of the bounty in the transitional government's distribution of portfolios.

The signatories to the Accra peace agreement have all made their nominations in the transition government. From the list of nominations made thus far, it is clear that the so-called transitional government has nothing to be desired. More than that, the caliber of people in the regime renders it redundant and fully incapacitated to deliver what Liberia needs most for its post-war reconciliation, reconstruction and democratization processes.

Most of the factional nominees to key government technical agencies and public corporations are basically semi literate, inexperienced and unprofessional - with know amount of knowledge to the functioning of those agencies and corporations. In addition, there is an expressed ambition and uncontrolled desire by many of the appointees to loosely steal and loot in the course of the two years scheduled for the transitional regime. So even the proposed United States government two hundred millions dollars assistance package for the rebuilding of the country could be an untimely gesture. The transitional government as has been put together by the country's warlords demonstrates absolute disregard for popular participation, geo-political and ethnic balance, and respect for gender clarity. Beside being Southeastern region concentrated, the transitional government has been virtually translated into a 'bandwagon' for the ascendancy and domination of ethnic Krahns and some Mandingoes to the reign of political and corporate power in the country - one of the root causes for the country's fourteen years civil conflict.

Humanitas Global Commission for Africa firmly believes that any tangible international development and reconstruction assistance to Liberia now will not derive the desired results and may be an inadvertent input considering the status quo, and that the country's healing and rebuilding process could be prone to devastating setbacks.

In light of these, the Commission urges the international community, particularly the United Nations, European Union, ECOWAS, the United States, Britain, France and others to critically evaluate and reconsider financial and technical support until fundamental improvement is made in the structure and composition of the transitional government. The Commission further challenges the factional leaders and their surrogates to maximize maturity and restrain in the appointment of those to fill public service positions that demand requisite education, professionalism, experience and integrity in the interest of all Liberians and the country.
HGC is a New York based international mechanism advocating good governance in Africa, encouraging scholarly exchange between Africa and western nations and assisting African migrants in the US understand the social and cultural life of America.