MONROVIA – On the verge of holding its first post-UNMIL withdrawal elections and an overall 4th post-war general elections, incidences preceding the October 10 polls continue to witness pockets of violence even before the first ballot is cast. The current signs of electoral violence were shown long before voter’s registration and the official declaration of political campaign activities kicked off.
But it’s the aftermath of the Foya violence on Friday, September 29 that has furthered mirrored how any heightened political process would continue to deeply expose the vulnerability and fragility of the post-war country.
FrontPageAfrica (FPA) reported late Friday evening clashes between supporters believed to be from the main opposition Unity Party (UP) and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in Foya, Lofa County. This reportedly led to about 2 deaths and some injuries. FPA had reported that some members of the UP in Lofa County reportedly carried out vandalization of the newly erected street lights, with futher reported attempts to carry out the destruction of the newly constructed town hall by Montserrado County Rep. Thomas Fallah who now contests to be a representative of Foya.
A late Friday evening press statement from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Musa Dean, urged all supporters of rival political parties to “desist from violence during and after these elections, and strictly adhere to the Farmington Declaration signed by all political parties”. This was after he had announced that the Joint Security was dispatching its Special Investigation Team the next day, Saturday, September 30, 2023 “to fast-track the investigation and report its findings the soonest”.
The CDC during a press conference the same day shifted the blame on the UP. Representative Thomas Fallah whose Foya Residence witnessed in close promixity the violent incidence earlier called for calm while also blaming zealous UP partisans for the violence.
Early Saturday morning, a day after the incidence, the UP’s Standard Bearer, Amb. Joseph Boakai during an interview with the media in Gbarnga, Bong County also shifted blame on the CDC for the Foya voilence. Citing NEC’s laid down regulations that no other political party should venture anywhere near where another has been granted permission to carry out its rally, Boakai said it was the CDC’s fault given that they were aware of the UP-Diaspora program.
Responding to how he and his team are entering Lofa in the midst of the tension, he replied: “The CDC and the government in place must protect us. We will go to Foya and nobody will stop us. Last night, there was stone-throwing on our convoy while coming here”.
Posf-Conflict Liberia Trends on Pre/Post Electoral Violence
In its bid to gain traction as a democratic country after a 14 years old war, Liberia in it post war era continues to struggle with pre and post electoral violence. Not even the presence of what was then the world’s largest United Nations Peacekeepers (UNMIL) barely averted ugly pre and post electoral scenes, right from the first post-war 2005 elections.
A noticeable and probably unforgettable one is the November 7, 2011 post-electoral violence after the first round of the October polls that witnessed a shooting incidence at the headquarters of the CDC in Congo Town that left two dead and several others injuired. The last 2017 general elections also witnessed pockets of violence reported across the country.
Subsequent by-elections after the 2017 polls witnessed several other electoral violence, with Montserrado County apparently bearing the biggest brunt of them all.
Same violent scenes were witnessed by residents of the New Georgia area and its environs during another hotly contested 2018 by election of District 13 . Cornelia Krouh Togba of the opposition UP alleged being attacked by supporters of the ruling CDC as ugly photos and video images trended on social media, showing that appeared to be high ranking officials of the CDC banishing weapons in broad daylight while residents scrambled to safety.
Both the 2019 and 2020 Montserrado County by-elections were marred by clashes reported between supporters of CDC and the then four collaborating political parties (CPP). One of such resulted in the news of 14 persons on both sides being wounded, some seriously, as supporters of the then CPP had gathered in the compound of the headquarters of the Liberty Party to begin early celebrations ahead of the pronouncement.
Other violent scenes were reported in Logan Town, District #15 when clashes ensued between the two rival candidates of now Representative Abu Kamara of the ruling CDC and Telia Urey of the opposition CPP in July of 2019 which reportedly brought her close to death and her personal vehicle damaged.
During Lofa’s by-election last year, Montserrado County Representative Yekeh Kolubah reported incidences of being attacked while en route from Foya back to Monrovia, an attack he claimed to have ‘dealt with’ and successfully repelled. The election was subsequently won by the ruling CDC backed candidate, Cllr. Joseph K. Jallah.
Political Parties’ Militancy Approaches Blamed
Some political analyst are at the moment blaming the Foya incident on what they termed as the the unilateral, illegal and unauthorized establishment of para-military groups by political parties, especially in the Foya area. Video images from the Foya incident showed militants’ involvment, with one of such clips showing some young men wearing UP paraphernalia and boasting on live facebook feeds that they are part of an established UP military group. Another of such clip shows another group resembling the CDC Military Group formed last year by Representative Fallah.
It can be recalled that in May of 2022, images emerged on social media of a group of men and women wearing khaki uniforms printed on them ‘CDC Militant’, with red berets displaying the CDC’s emblem. FPA had gathered reports that the regalia was provided by Rep. Fallah for the ‘militant to provide maximum security for the endorsed candidate of the ruling CDC and officials who were in Lofa at the tie to canvass for the votes for the 2022 senatorial Lofa County by-elections. A year and some months later, some militants are spotted in some of the clips coming out of the Foya violence.
It can be also be recalled that in direct retiliation, Rep. Yekeh Kolubah back in Monrovia announced the formation of what he called the ‘Opposition Militants’. The controversial Montserrado County lawmaker and fierce critic of the CDC announced that 2,000 jackets, 2,000 barrets were in his possession to train about 10,000 men as militants to proect the opposition ahead of the October 10, 2023 polls.
Violent Scenes Becloud 2023 Polls
The road to the October 10 elections turned violent long before before the NEC could announce the official opening of political campaigns across the country in early August. The country had witnessed scores of election-related violent incidences as even far back as January of this year. FPA in January of this year reported shooting and rioting between supporters believed to be loyal to River Cess County then senatorial aspirants Bill Twehway and Andrew Peters in Boegeezay Town, District # 1, River Cess County. The incident was fueled by the pulling down of a billboard bearing the photo of Mr. Peters allegedly by Mr. Twehway’s supporters. tones were directed at the guest house hosting Bill Twehway and those traveling along with him. The aspirant had to flee to the Boegeezay Police Depot for refuge.
Even voter’s registration exercises were marred with violence, the most noticeable one being the Montserrado County District 10 incidence. In March, there were a series of rioting and clashes between supporters of Rep. Kolubah, some members and supporters of the CDC, and the Liberia National Police who fired tear gas, leading to injuries, and destruction of properties, and causing fear and panic in the District.
At the beginning of the campaign in August, right in Montserrado County, social media became awash with violent images of some Liberians being harmed as political campaigns kicked off in early August of this year. Few days after the NEC officially declared opening of the campaign, FrontPageAfrica reported four persons being injured in clashes between supporters believed to be from both the CDC and the UP. That was an incident that occured as a convoy of UP supporters headed to their party’s campaign headquarters in Sinkor. The UP would subsequently accuse state security of doing nothing against supporters believed to be of the CDC who reportedly prevented its standard bearer’s convoy from reaching the campaign headquarters.
In vote-rich Nimba County, FPA also reported in August the stabbing of a man believed to be supporter of the CDC reportedly by another man believed to be close relative to the UP’s Vice Standard Bearer Senator Jeremiah Koung over ‘simple political disagreement’. The man named Baccus Sayeh was later reported to be pronounced dead at teh GW Harley Hospital.
Another violent act resulting to death was reported by the Daily Observer in its August 22nd edition, over the death of one Aloysius Bahn who was allegedly hit with a sotne in this admonater after an argument with two supporters believed to be of the Unity Party in Soe Vatenglay, Nimba County. Police in Karnplay were said to be investigating the death of the 35 years old Bahn who reportedly died subsequently from the wound sustained.
Senator Prince Johnson, now a strong ally to the UP, about the same time posted on his verified Facebook page of being attacked in Gbor-Weiplay, accusing the district’s representative Gunpue L. Kargon of being the mastermind being his reported attack.
A ‘Decorated’ Farmington Declaration Being Irrelevant
As in previous elections before now, key political actors have been signing a peace pact precedeeing an election in anticipation of discouraging their supporters from engaging in electoral violence. In April of this year, four months to the official kickoff of campaign, several key political parties gearing up for Liberia’s crucial Presidential and Legislative Elections signed a ‘revised’ Farmington River Declaration. Signed at the Farmington Hotel on the bank of the Farming River in Margibi County, the Farmington Declaration was supposed to be a landmark agreement affirming their commitment to peaceful, transparent, and credible elections. Some analysts have opined that the essence of the Farmington Declaration is being defeated over and again.