Reports of Violence

a photo I took at Charles Taylor's former mansion in Gbarnga

Numerous reports from Gbarnga - a major city 3 hours north of Monrovia - are that protests, burning and shooting have been going on all day, but are largely under control by UN peacekeepers. The violent death of at least one motorcycle driver seems to be the catalyst, and numerous (reputable) sources in the area have said that the police station has been burned, though I am not there myself at the moment.

Violent protests are never great news around here.

Less confirmed reports (from friends got turned around trying to head that direction, and someone involved with the UN) from the west are that rubber tappers at Guthrie are blocking the road as part of increasingly angry striking: they have not been paid in weeks, and burned down part of the plantation in protest earlier in the week. Many at Guthrie are ex-combatants, which makes things a bit more potentially volatile.

To the various editors that I wrote a few weeks ago suggesting this would happen: the offer to cover the escalating rubber crisis here still stands.

If you are interested, I would recommend checking Star Radio or the New Democrat for more info. They are the only local outlets (with websites) that update on the weekends, and I don't think international media is on it right now, though I could be wrong.

Will try and update, but supposed to be away for 2 days.

Blood Water: Liberia Narrowly Avoids the First Plague

Last night, two things startled me. The first was Nigerian-manned tanks rolling past my house as I stayed up late typing - tanks are rarely a sign of a good thing. The second came waking at 3:45, only to see the bridge outside my house full of with people, and pedestrians filing under my balcony.

The bridge, most say, should not be crossed by foot anytime after 11, and certainly not past midnight. A little surprising then that a line of people streamed across the bridge at such an hour, under some of the only streetlamps in the country. More so that many seemed to be women and children, not typical of the late-night scene of criminals. Also strange that most of them carried the 5-gallon water jugs that people collect their water from local wells in (running water remains rare). I stared for a while, struggling to come up with a reason for any of this, before drifting back to sleep, listening to the light rain that had started.

This hazy memory remained lay buried until speaking with some reporters this morning. It became clear that a 'crisis' gripped the city yesterday. A 'report' circulated, claiming that all the country's water supplies would turn to blood by morning, though other variations claimed the water would become bitter, or perhaps dry up. People acted quickly, with reports of the long lines all night at wells becoming especially feisty as dawn approached.

Origins of the report seem mixed. Truth FM definitely aired the first story about it during the day, but they were responding to already widespread knowledge, and caller's comments. It spread 'virally', in 2.0 terminology, though without any more technology than word of mouth/cell phone. Brothers called sisters called cousins called friends called coworkers all through the night, with virtually everyone in the nation aware of the problem by dawn. Many residents stocked up with water.

"People here just believe anything," a local journalist said of the situation. "They believe in powers and forces that don't actually exist, just because someone told them so."

CY Kwanue, a veteran Liberian journalist of 25 years, had this to say this afternoon: "Many people are still traumatized by the war, they are easily convinced by fear. They just act on what people tell them."

Others blame juju and related belief systems for believing the seemingly impossible.

Not surprisingly, water sources seem relatively free of first plague characteristics up to the present (3:03 pm). Still dirty, but no blood.

The Economics of Liberia's War

War often gets described in a one-dimensional perspective: from the battlefront. News focuses exclusively on this, while books and movies occasionally take the creative license to go behind the lines. The fact often glossed over here is how large of a roll money plays in conflict: you cannot sustain 14 years of active conflict - as Charles Taylor did - without significant funding (guns don't come for free, and soldiers need to eat). And in a country being looted, pillaged, bombed, and burned, keeping steady cashflow cannot come without illicit activity.

This past week Liberia's TRC shed some light on the economic forces that allowed Liberia to keep up such a vigorous pace of violence. Not surprisingly, shady players bereft of any moral prerogative set the scene for all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster: fake companies, international criminal rings, and high profile money laundering.

This article provides an interesting example of the complex cross-border network funding the war. Such testimony is an interesting hybrid of anomaly and status quo: anomaly because rarely can so much financial information be divulged - few can afford the perils that come with making such specific information public; status quo because almost everyone backed some faction of the war at some time, albeit often not entirely of their own volition. Even President Sirleaf's recent TRC testimony admitted to supporting Charles Taylor, and meeting at his headquarters, where - sounding almost too sketchy to be true - he allegedly sat surrounded by (unidentified) Lebanese men and bags of rice.

Its difficult to say if any of the testimony from the TRC's section on economic crimes will amount to anything as tangible as convictions. But its not difficult to say that sustaining a war like Liberia's requires dirtying a lot of hands.

PS On Slavery and the Theme Park

I received a few emails about my post on plans for 'a Jackson Family museum/Slavery theme park in Nigeria' Most raised a very valid point: is this for real?

Its a great question. Who knows? I do know that BBC, The Guardian and Nigerian News Service are among those reporting the issue. But, that does not make it real...

I'm reminded of a story long-time friend Ali put me onto a few years ago. Essentially, BBC reported that 42 Cambodian midget wrestlers were killed or injured after their 'owner' pitted them against a lion in a ring match, in which they faired disastrously. Turned out the story was actually the product of an elaborate bet made by a disgruntled journo who claimed he could get an absurdly fake story onto BBC online, and won (terms unclear). BBC retracted the story.

But don't that suggest that the absurd can't be real in the news.

For the record on the Jackson Tribute/Slave Theme Park, I'm torn between wanting it to be real vs. wanting it to be a hoax, but I'm fairly certain the plans for it are real.

Liberia's TRC to Learn About Forestry's Role in the Conflict

Liberia's TRC has been under a lot of fire lately. Commissioners John Stewart (no, not that one) and Sheikh Kafumba Konneh have both been named by several witnesses as being not only supporters, but active members of rebel factions. Questions of its legitimacy and effectiveness at actually healing the active wounds from the past pop up with increasing frequency in the local media.

President Sirleaf's surprise appearance to the stand raised a lot of heads last week, though few seemed to believe "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" came out of her mouth.

Today, Global Witness testifies regarding three reports they put out last March regarding the economic crimes committed during the conflict. Blood diamonds became a household name even before Leo hit the big screen on that topic, but diamonds were not the only commodity supplying arms and feeding troops.

Liberia, although small, has the highest percentage of virgin rainforest in Africa, and 'Blood Timber' did its fair share to finance the war, particularly for Charles Taylor.

Testimony from Global Witness in this topic comes at an interesting time. The Liberian government has its first forestry concessions up for bid in years, with the first harvesting set to commence any day. Ensuring timber sales are done justly, and as free of corruption as is possible in Liberia, will be essential for creating a functional economy here, and providing work for the estimated 85 % of the population still without formal jobs.

Slavery and the Theme Park

Truly, only a Jackson Family member could be behind such an undertaking as this. BBC's article says this of the new (and odd) multi-billion dollar tourist attraction in probably one of the least attractive tourist destinations; Nigeria.

"One of pop superstar Michael Jackson's brothers, Marlon, is involved in a controversial plan to develop a $3.4bn (£2.4bn) slavery memorial and luxury resort in Badagry, Nigeria.

The historic slave port is to be transformed through the bizarre combination of a slave history theme park and a museum dedicated to double Grammy-winning pop-soul group the Jackson Five."

I think the best part of this post from BBC comes when it says, and I quote...

"Visitors will be able to see the route their ancestors walked, shackled together as they were whipped toward the "point of no return".

They can then retire to their five-star hotel to drink cocktails by the pool."

Hard to evaluate how reliable a source "Celebitchy.com" is, but if they are accurate in their sourcing (they do reference National Enquirer), and any shred of truth lies behind their assertion that a Jackson Reality show is in the pipes, I smell some hot cross promotions, and a roller coaster of a year for black history.

(pun intended)

Preparing for the Colloquium

Mamba Point Hotel and the Cape Hotel occupy some of the finest real estate, and serve as the social center of this area. Just beyond the downtown, in the prestigious Mamba point community, both offer oceanfront views from which to enjoy sushi, $ 7 mixed drinks, or a number of exquisite menu and wine options.

Not surprising then, that the Women's Colloquium - a meeting of female leaders from around the world, co-organized by Liberia president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Africa's first elected female head of state) - will put to use their facilities to host some of the prestigious international guests set to attend. (Michele Obama and Oprah: consistent rumours of attending/not attending)

While the conference itself deserves all the support possible, it has put an unfortunate strain on the local residents, paradoxically straining the livelihoods of a number of woman and children in preparation for the event.

A somewhat complicated chain of command acted this past week, ousting the low-income residents who still live amidst the multimillion dollar compounds on the point. In an apparent sweep to 'beautify' the strip leading up to the hotels, houses, small stores, and street sellers have been forced to leave, or tear down any piece of material encroaching on the road.

One resident, who preferred not be named, pointed out that this did seem to apply to the other side of the road. He had a point: compounds obviously spilled onto the road, but lacked the yellow spray paint stating "please remove" of his side, primarily zinc-roofed Liberian houses. His family will lose their store doing this, and have to foot the entire bill, something they can ill afford.

Down the road, Mary Cooper and Marie Quails are two women who have lost nearly everything after living in the area for almost 20 years. The recent clean-up not only pushed them and about 80 people out of their homes, but crushed the former dwellings to the ground. (Incidentally burying the area where they earn their livings selling phone cards, street food and assorted small items.) They now lay claim to strategic pieces of land, where they sleep in the open air.

"We have nowhere to go, no money to send our kids to school, nothing. We will stay here until the colloquium, and make sure [the visiting women] see the real Liberia," Teresa, another woman in the same predicament vowed emphatically. Teresa, Marie and Mary - among others - currently sleep with their children and the few goods they have left in nearby vacant lots and construction lots.

While some apparently did receive some of the compensation intended for their short-notice relocation, it appears they were in the minority. Either event organizers, Ministry of Public Works, or the Monrovia City Commission did not put much effort into ensuring compensatory distribution occurred fairly or evenly, or Liberia's scourge of corruption has again reared its head, diverting the intended funds.

Women and children forced to sleep on the streets is hardly news around here. But when its in the name of a high profile, big budget conference about women's empowerment, a little more care could be taken to not perpetuate the problems the colloquium seeks to address.

The Lone Prisoner

A three hour motorbike ride from the closest town, we were trying to find information on a particular story (that had nothing to do with why we were there in the first place). Though accounts varied, all agreed that a crime of passion had been committed by a man in Ivory Coast. Some said the man beat his wife savagely, others said he stabbed her.

Some versions had her dead, some alive.

Either way, the man had swam across the border, seeking refuge in Liberia. A 14-man militia had followed him, captured him, and he was reportedly in one of the villages where some scheduled interviews awaited us.

So, when Chief Inspector Morris happened to walk by as we fixed a flat tire, it seemed only natural to procure a visit to the jail to speak with their sole prisoner.

"Yeah, well its not really a jail, we just turned it into one," he explained, walking down the hill to a small building. (The original jail here was the first post to be overtaken by Charles Taylor's NPFL on Christmas Eve, 1989, the official start of the civil war. It lies in ruins atop a nearby hill.)

Removing the nails that served as locks, Morris opened the small wooden door to reveal the above man, who, as it turned out, was not who we originally sought out. His apparent role in a burglary in Ivory Coast, and subsequent fleeing, had landed him here until he can be returned and tried in his home.

Through my broken French, his broken English and some translations from Mano to English by a guard, explanations slowly came. Attempts by an uncle to extradite him thwarted by some missing bureaucratic stamps. He did not steal the food they said he did. He had tried to escape from the cell. Twice. Hence both hands cuffed to what appeared to be part of an engine block.

He seemed only marginally happy to learn that I had two small bags of peanuts in my camera bag - his first meal since yesterday morning - and just wanted to go face trial in his country, hoping to prove his innocence.

Walking up the hill from the jail, we stopped in front of an old house where a man stood with a large cut on his face. I shook his hand reflexively, turning to Morris.

"So, what happened to the guy we spoke about, that stabbed his wife, and got caught yesterday, did he get sent back across?"

"No," Morris replied, "that is him." He pointed at the man standing next to us with the cut on his face.

"This man?!?"

"Yeah, this man."

Stepping aside, I tried to iron out the details with Morris. Yes, this man had stabbed his wife several times - but she would live. He faces serious charges.

"But he is standing here, no one guarding him, why is he not in jail."

Morris laughed loudly, and so did the women behind him.

Indignantly, Morris put it to me 'straight': "But where would he go? The community is aware of him. He cannot leave!!"

Again Morris and the women laughed. This time, the man with the cut joined in, beaming a huge smile in my direction.

Gaddafi v Democracy

Only days after being elected as the head of the African Union, charismatic leader Muammar Gaddafi has said that democracy in Africa leads to bloodshed.

An interesting start to his year-long role as head of this bloc of 53 nations.

Yesterday, Italy followed France's initiative, canceling $70 million (US) in Liberian debt (news comes out on that in today's local papers). This is another welcome load off Liberia's shoulders, especially amidst recent fears that the 'global economic crisis' will greatly decrease aid and decrease African funding for battling lethal diseases.

Another Perspective (and army worms)

My friend Glenna - who has a great website and blog and sent me a great rebuttal to yesterday's post. Great slide show from the New Yorker with commentary about the Asian/African immigration on the other side of another continent.


In a strange twist, the army worms that have captured the interest of the international media, along with all of Liberia, have turned out to be a hoax. Well, okay, not a hoax, but not army worms. According to a reporter who attended a Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) press conference this morning, no one is quite sure what they are, but they are now somewhat sure that the creatures do not exhibit the same characteristics of the traditional army worm.

Rumours of thousands of people being in a 'humanitarian crisis'(I quote that to note how carelessly that word gets thrown around) after being displaced by the invasion remain just rumours due to the MOA's requests that [certain] reporters not travel to [certain] affected areas. Plans to investigate this tomorrow are already underfoot, according to the aforementioned reporter.

Sundays in Monrovia

The Chinese have a fairly substantial presence here. Their businesses have contracts for almost all the roads and stadiums being built, a Chinese company just led a $US 2.6 billion mining investment (about 7 times Liberia's GDP), they have a massive embassy and there are many independent merchants and businesses throughout the country.

So it is not that surprising that China Radio International broadcasts in several Liberian cities.

However, CRI's commitment to playing country music all day long every Sunday fuses cultures at unexpected levels. In the heart of a snarling West African city, listening to Hank Williams, Dolly Parton and Townes van Zandt on a battery powered radio is a great combo.

American country, brought to you in Liberia by China Radio International. Amazing.

Almost as awesome as when local kids see me and point and yell "Chinese man, Chinese man," a phenomenon that occurs with more frequency you would expect for a 6 foot two white guy with a beard. It usually takes me about a day to stop laughing from that...