Monrovia – The administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is facing growing criticism over the demolition of market stalls at Rehab Junction in Paynesville, just a day after supporters of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) gathered there and booed the President’s motorcade.
By Jaheim T. [email protected]
The demolition on Thursday has fueled allegations that the government’s action was politically motivated, with petty traders and other affected businesses insisting they had nothing to do with the jeering of the President and should not be punished for the actions of opposition supporters.
Rehab Junction, located in the Rehab Community where President Boakai and former President George Weah reside, has increasingly become a politically charged area. The neighborhood is regarded as a presidential enclave, with the homes of the two political rivals located not far from each other.
On Wednesday, the junction became one of the major assembly points for CDC supporters traveling to Roberts International Airport to welcome former President Weah, who had returned to Liberia after several months abroad.
Large numbers of CDC supporters gathered around the market stalls, singing pro-Weah songs and chanting slogans critical of President Boakai.
As President Boakai later left his residence and his motorcade passed through the area, members of the crowd reportedly booed the President.
By Thursday, however, security personnel had moved into the area and demolished the market stalls. Vendors and motorcyclists were reportedly ordered to vacate the junction.
The timing of the action has prompted questions over whether the demolition was a routine enforcement exercise or an immediate response to the previous day’s political confrontation.
‘We Were Not Part of the Protest’
The affected petty traders are appealing directly to President Boakai to allow them to return to the area and continue their livelihoods.
The vendors told FrontPage Africa that they were not part of the crowd that booed the President and should not be made to suffer because of the actions of CDC supporters.
They said they were simply at their stalls conducting business and had no role in the political gathering.
“We are innocent. We were just going about our business,” one vendor said, describing the demolition as a devastating blow to traders who depend on daily sales to support their families, Terry Darwo, a money exchanger told FrontPageAfrica.
For Oretha Gunnun, chairlady of petty traders operating along the Rehab Junction corridor, said fruit sellers and other small-scale traders were unable to conduct business after police deployed officers to an area where vendors typically sell their goods.
Speaking in an interview with Frontpageafrica, Gunnun said traders arrived at their usual locations only to be turned away by police officers stationed at the junction.
She appealed to the President to reconsider the decision and distinguish between those involved in political activities and ordinary traders trying to make a living.
“We are appealing to President Boakai that he should consider us and allow us to come back to our normal business,” she said.
Gunnun said the restrictions were particularly difficult for traders dealing in perishable goods such as bananas, apples and watermelons, which can spoil quickly if not sold.
“If I don’t sell today, I will get a lot of losses,” she said, adding that many vendors rely on daily sales to support their families and pay school expenses for their children.
According to Gunnun, traders believe the measures may be linked to activities surrounding a recent presidential visit, during which crowds gathered along the roadway. She said ordinary vendors should not be penalized for events in which they played no part.
“We are all here doing our business,” Gunnun said. “We were not part of the people that were here yesterday.”
She described herself as a single mother who depends on fruit sales to support her daughter and other family members.
The vendors said the sudden loss of their stalls has left them without a source of income and are calling for an opportunity to return to the junction or be provided with an alternative location where they can legally conduct business.
An entrepreneur J.U. Dempster Hennings, said business has been slow and customers had stopped coming to buy this morning since police officers were deployed, creating fear among potential buyers and disrupting normal business activities.
“I have been doing business here for many years and I know the inflow of customers,” Dempster said. “Right now, with the presence of the police, it sends some kind of signal to our customers.”
Dempster said many traders and money exchangers operating in the community depend on daily sales and participate in local savings and credit schemes, commonly known as “susu,” under which members make daily, weekly, or monthly payments.
He said some business owners, including himself, had also taken bank loans to finance their operations.
“Most of the petty traders out there took money from banks,” he said. “Even my very self. I have to pay suppliers today.”
According to Dempster, the demolition of business structures and the removal of traders from their usual locations could immediately affect their ability to generate income and meet repayment obligations.
“With the police presence and the businesses being removed, it will affect their ability to pay their susu and other commitments,” he said, warning that prolonged disruptions could place financial strain on vendors, money exchangers and small business owners who depend on daily transactions.
Dempster said business owners had not been informed of the reasons behind the security operation and appealed for a return to what he described as a conducive business environment.
“We don’t know why the police are here,” he said. “We pray that tomorrow we’ll have a conducive atmosphere for our business.”
Questions Over Timing
Critics of the administration say the sequence of events raises concerns about whether the government’s response was disproportionate.
They argue that if the demolition was part of an existing plan to clear the junction, the government should explain why it occurred immediately after the President was booed at the location.
The controversy also comes against the backdrop of heightened political tensions between the ruling Unity Party and the CDC, particularly following Weah’s return and renewed political activity ahead of the 2029 elections.
For the vendors, however, the political contest is secondary to survival.
They say they should not become casualties of Liberia’s growing political rivalry and are urging President Boakai to intervene before they lose their livelihoods permanently.
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