Finally, under the pressure of the so-called
international community, in essence the US imperialism and its henchmen
associates, and the warlord group, the Liberian president – a warlord the and
self-content puppet of the US imperialism, Charles Taylor resigned and quit the
country on 11 August. After than Moses Blah, the former vice president selected by Taylor as
successor, and now what is negotiated is that Gyude Bryant, a rebelling warlord
and a businessmen and his administration will take over power of Liberia from
14 October. The western power-centers and specially the American imperialists
had made a great deal of propaganda that once Taylor is exorcised, a peace in
the country would inter with a magical power to bring stability and prosperity
for the Liberian people. But hardly yet the Liberian oppressed might have
realized how imperialism caused chronic misery for the them than do any
Liberian puppets of the US imperialism. Because of the gap of real political
leadership of the people to fight for the complete emancipation bringing the
society with the new unity on the basis of proletarian dictatorship, any
settlement have proven no fruitful for the people. Hence have the conflicts
been unstopped for the reason because there have been no changes for the people
despite the changes of figures in the ruling class for the imperialists.
The political events in Liberia might not be interesting
for many people on the earth because of its small size in geographical
territory and population, but it has been one of the volatile country on the
earth and a model of exploitation how the US imperialism without putting it
military bases have been exploiting its resources and controlling its political,
economic and social apparatus, since nearly two centuries. And, as the powerful
Maoist revolutionary movements have been developing in small countries like in
Nepal and Bhutan (where recently there is report that a Maoist party has formed
in Bhutan), with the advent of 21st century, Liberia has also been a
challenge for the Maoist revolutionaries in the world as well as for the
Liberian people to develop its revolutionary leadership, political line and
military strategy to overthrow imperialism and domestic reaction, in order to
realize the complete emancipation of the Liberian people. In view of emerging
revolutionary high tide, most oppressed African nations like Liberia can be
regarded as most volatile and rebelling country.
Weeks before Taylor’s departure,
several thousand foreign troops had arrived in Monrovia, the capital of
Liberia, aiming at to stop 13 years long civil war. These troops include from
West African countries and the United States. More humiliation for the Liberian
present ruling class and the followers of Taylor caused by the imperialist
aggressors is that Nigerian troops have been “maintaining peace” in Liberia and
Taylor is given asylum in the same country. Reports have been printed in the
media that people have cheered on the arrival of the Nigerian peacekeeping
forces, pictures have been painted that only the foreign troops were the hope
of the hopeless Liberian people, but those people yet might not have understood
that they will have to pay daily $2 million army expenditure, from their own
blood and flesh. Ironically, bondages of whole future have been dearer to the
Liberian people than today’s death. Almost 100,000 people have been killed in
the civil war in Liberia in last 13 years, and the country is ruined.
Charles Taylor is solely attributed for these crimes –
the crimes of holocaust in the last 13 years. He is blamed for fomenting civil
war in diamond-rich Sierra Leone, selling diamond, buying arms and travelling
outside his country. He has also been implicated in spreading arms and soldiers
into conflicts in Guinea and Ivory Coast, and widely blamed for fleecing the
natural resources of his country, principally timber and diamond, for his own
personal enrichment. Because of the reactionary character of the warlords, fleecing
natural resources cannot be ignored. Whatever the other reasons propagated or
brought on the surface as a reason for the violence in Liberia, the central
questions which have always been concealed or undermined or consciously
overshadowed through current events are the political and economic discontent
of the Liberian people led to rebel (Nevertheless, rebelling movement of the
opposition is not a liberation movement at all, nor has the Liberian people
developed such leadership) against his regime. Nevertheless, the central
reasons – political, economic and social, by which the rebellion has been
caused by will never be addressed by any of such warlords who keep on changing
in power after a certain historical juncture of time. There had been truce several
times between the rebel groups and the governments in the past months, but no
political solutions were drawn up. Rather Taylor let the foreign soldiers inter
into the country, but did not quit the post until he was kicked out forcefully.
It is true that
these reactionary warlords, no matter wherever they are, either they are in
Nepal or in Peru, either they are in Philippines or in Indonesia they would
rather like imperialist intervention exploitation and plunder against people in
order to glue themselves in power, than letting the people get liberated. So
did this reactionary Taylor; unless army intervention was made sure, he did not
leave the post, and let the further political get way opened. It is obvious
that the conditions of the Liberian people are not going to be changed at all
by the accent on power of the businessman, the present rebel leader Gyude
Bryant, because the principal problem in Liberia seems to be between bureaucrat
capitalism directly manoeuvred by the US imperialism and the ruthlessly
exploited Liberian people. And the accent on power of these warlords will
simply furthermore institutionalise these exploiting conditions than rooting
out them in favour of people. And in the case of Liberia the US is at the
centre of all problems. In essence, US imperialism has been the main
perpetuator of the whole Liberian havocs.
Liberia is a small African country with an area of
111,370 squire kilometres and 2.9 million populations, according December 2000
census. The inhabitants of several ethnic groups such as Kpelle, Bassa, Gio,
Kru, and Vai, and followers of different religions such as traditional
indigenous belief 70%, Muslim 20% and Christian 10% demonstrate that Liberia is
a multi ethnic and multi religious country. However, English is the official
language of Liberia, but different ethnic groups speak more than 20 other
different languages. That also demonstrates that it is a multi lingual country.
Liberia is one of such countries in the world where foreign language – English
is official language and more than twenty indigenous languages are considered
as foreign.
The abundance of natural resources and reach on mine,
ore, or natural oil, gas and plantation would not allow the Liberian people so
poor as they are today, had they been exploited by the multi ethnic Liberian
people themselves. It has costal plain area that stretches over a length of
approximately 595 KM and lies between the rivers Mano in the northwest and
Cavalla in the east. The land of Liberia is covered with evergreen rain forest in the south and the
north is covered with deciduous trees. Within from the hills that measure 900
and 1200 m. height, several small rivers run through the country. Average
annual rainfall goes up to 1,778mm in the country’s interior and 5,080mm in the
coast. Average annual temperature is around 28 degree Celsius. Rubber is one of
the main plants of the country, and the costal area is reach of natural oil.
Thus Liberia is rich in natural resources, abundant of rubber and oil, palm
trees and other useful forest, and plenty of streams running pure water flow
through the country. A plenty of
fertile land in the coastal areas could produce enough food grains to feed the
Liberian people. But, all these are ruthlessly exploited by the US imperialism
through its big companies like Firestone
Rubber Plantation, and INGOs
(such as UMCOR/Liberia), so the Liberian people are really emaciated.
This country has fallen in a long civil war and its
economy has crumbled down. What is much propagated is that the Liberian economy
has collapsed because of the civil war, but the facts are entirely overshadowed
with superficial confusing details, that emerge on the surface. The facts that
the American plunder caused Liberia bankrupt and by which civil war was
generated, are always concealed and the attention of the masses are completely
diverted to secondary contradictions, so that the masses of the people will not
target to the main enemy, the imperialism and its puppet at home. Many
intellectuals and imperialist agents argue that Liberia has been failed in the
economy. Nevertheless, it is not the Liberia that has failed, but is
imperialism and imperialist ruthless plunder that led Liberian economy to fail.
Imperialists have created a situation that the Liberian society is extremely
divided into exploited and exploiting classes. The imperialist domination and
plunder through ruling class made Liberia exploited and bankrupt.
Where had the problem begun? To understand the present
crisis in Liberia we have to give a glimpse and briefly trace up past 2
century’s political history. Without understanding political system of the
society and the economic system associated with it we cannot precisely
understand the real problem of the society.
Until new society begin with the resettlement of
American freed slaves in Africa (the west Africa); several ethnic groups
including Niger-Congo language family of Mel-speakers (Gola, and Kissi),
Kawa-speakers (Kru, Bassa, Grebo, Krahn, Dei), Mande-speakers (Kpelle, Gio,
Mano, Gbandi, Mende, Loma, Vai and Mandigo) used to live in the present Liberia
(From Liberia the rising and Fall of First Republic-p.6).
In 1816, when the American Colonisation Society in the
USA decided to resettle freed American slaves in Africa, 16 different ethnic
groups settled in the area of present Liberia. That American Colonisation
Society acquired part of British colony Sierra Leone in 1821. Almost 20,000 of
the freed slaves, that would comprise almost one third of the contemporary
total population of Liberia, were resettled in Africa. This settlement of the
freed American slave was encroachment of Liberian land and imperialist
intervention over Liberia. In 1822 first Americo-Liberians settled in Monrovia,
today’s capital of Liberia. From this settlement onward, the conflict began.
The native population resisted the immigrants – the settled American freed
slaves, their way of life and language, resulting in to armed conflicts.
Despite those conflicts, further settlements were founded along the coast, with
most fertile land, and newly arrived freed slaves claimed those areas as theirs
land.
The American freed slaves who were resettled in the
Liberian coastal lands had not come with bare hands; they had brought skills
and education with them, and new language and new culture, which the US
imperialist used for its economic and political exploitation against the
indigenous and tribal Liberian people. Almost a century and half, the US
exploited the country through manoeuvring the Americo-Liberians, by 1980s, big
American companies were established even in Liberia itseld.
Liberia became an independent republic in 1847. Before
American occupation in Liberia, there were indigenous and non-indigenous people
live together, with a kind of system selecting tribal chief, but not much
powerful as were the chiefs made by the western colonials in Africa. Through
out Africa, the European colonial administrators made a rule to have “everyone
in their proper place” resulting in demarcated administrative units and
sometimes the imposition of local political officials – often called chief,
with considerably more power than had been the case in centuries before. The
same case applied in Liberia. After the American de facto occupation (a de
facto occupation: however Liberia has never been a direct colony of the United
States), “inland expansion occurred at a slower pace over the contiguous
territory and the early distinction was made between the first counties which
had width not exceeding 40 miles from the coast and the adjoining territory
which in 1869 became known as the hinterland territory” (Historical Dictionary
of Liberia p1). The “county Jurisdiction”, inhabited by a smaller percentage of
the population came under the authority of the state law system based on 1847
constitution, but the hinterland (later provincial) jurisdiction” where the
vast majority of population lived did not. These administrative divisions by
the western colonial powers were not only a ruthless smashing over traditional
mutual harmonious society and creation of divisions among several ethnic
groups, but also an application of reactionary method “divide and rule”. That
process ultimately resulted “to strengthen the rigidity in ethnic
self-identification” – Rise and fall of Liberian Republic p-7).
The becoming
of a new country and the application of the constitution in the same year has
been described as independence of Liberia. That so-called independence of
Liberia began with inherent imperialist domination, mainly American imperialist
domination and exploitation. Liberian economy had been based on American
exploitations. Even before the establishment of American Firestone Company,
America competed France and Britain in rubber market that was exploited from
Liberia. Since 1920s American multinational corporations were established.
However the American freed slaves’ resettlement and
American domination in Liberia gave birth to a new dimension in that society,
that eventually broke away and smashed a natural process of economic, political
and social development. A process of parallel development of economic base and
political superstructure were superseded with imperialist imposed economic base
and foreign language, culture and traditions. Because of these political,
economic and cultural interventions, the clashes developed between American
settled slaves and the Liberian ethnic groups at the beginning, and later on
that conflicts extended among the ethnic groups. Even though, the public
discontent time and again came in past centuries, that changed the chief of
their society, but the US imperialism, the cancer of their economic social and
political problem, remained at the heart of Liberia. Neither had any politician
made diagnosis of this cancer, nor any struggle developed, but ironically, some
of the people still weave American flag and these predators are conceived as
liberators.
After all, because of the ruthless imperialist
exploitation, further division among the ethnic groups, and continuing conflict
between the indigenous Liberians and freed American slaves, the people became
more and more poor. That resulted massive riots in 1979, consequently leading
to Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe toppling President William R. Tolbert Jr. who
was killed in the event. After than, Doe even declared an elected president in
1985 by preventing all opposition from coming to the power.
However, ruling figures were changed as the result of
the upraising of the masses against exploitation, poverty and injustice,
American imperialist predatory system remained at the heart of Liberian
sovereignty. That could not let any social political and economic changes in
the life of the people. Eventually, those crises led to an upraising in 1980s.
The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPLF), led by Charles Taylor took
control of almost all the country. The civil war escalated, Doe was shot. In September 1996, Ruth Perry, a first woman
politician in Liberia took control over executive power, in 1997, Charles
Taylor won the presidential election. “But
Taylor is indicative in many ways of the irony of imperialist
"neglect." On one hand he has created problems for the U.S.
imperialists. But in every way Taylor is a product of U.S. domination in
Liberia” – RW No 1209.
Agriculture was the most important economic factor of
Liberia till 1989. Timber and rubber are the most important raw materials to
export. But, by the mid 1980s, the US imperialism took over the huge Firestone
Rubber Plantation at Harbel that controlled the largest part of economy and
second largest part of employee after the public sector. More than 65 % of the
country’s workforce were substance farmers or employed in fishing or forestry.
There used to be only few processing industries, food, building materials, and
consumer goods were produced in small quantities. But, the American owning of
the Rubber Plantation and controlling over the workforce led the Liberian
economy in 1990s to the brink of collapse. INGO, UMCOR/Liberia has been one
effective vehicle of US imperialism to divide the people and exploit them. It
harbours the USAID and other imperialist capital. Imperialist aids and capital
under their conditions simply makes the people dependent on them, blunts
people’s political and ideological sharpness, and deliberately diverts the
people’s wraths against suppression and exploitation towards simple reform and
promotes public dependency on foreign capital and imperialist political
phenomenon. Most importantly, the INGO has put its hands in all basic economic
and social sectors such as agriculture, medication and education of Liberia.
By law, school is obligatory for children between 6
and 16. Education is free. But only 38%
of the population is literate and very rare percentage are educated. Children
from poor people are deprived from education systematically.
Since the US imperialism took control in Liberian
economy in 1980s, there have been more uprisings. Especially, the civil war
broke out in 1989, which took over 200,000 people dead and as many as 2.5
million people were displaced. Many of the displaced fled to neighbouring
countries. There have been long run social effects of the displacement. There
was a resurgence of instability in the boarder regions with Sierra Leone and
Guinea in September 2002 with the effect of displaced Liberians.
The Liberian history has been descending through a
cycle of uprising – arrival of peacekeeping force – fighting against that
notorious peacekeeping force and again violence! The present Nigerian and US
peacekeeping mission is not the first time that the peacekeepers came in
Liberia from other countries. West African intervention troops arrived in
Liberia in 1990, people gave a cheerful welcome. Later, that peacekeeping force
turned to perpetuating havocs. Neither of the peacekeeping force could bring
peace and stability in Liberia because without proper political and economic
solution neither peace is possible, nor prosperity. Unless the US imperialism
and its Liberian puppets were smashed and kicked out of the country, there
would be no peace in any circumstances, but neither of the uprising were
targeted to the right directions, rather some of the people are deluded that
imperialist are the lifeline of those people.
However, the imperialist have put all the heap of
crimes over Taylor to wash out their faces, they will not left free without
unmasked. The fact that unless the African people fight imperialism to smash
out the century-long slavery with the scientific ideology and politics; unless
they completely destroy the American domination and seize all booty from their
hands exploited since long; unless those snatched fundamental rights of the
several ethnic groups, such as in language, culture, education economy social
and political sphere are restored on the new and scientific basis; the Liberian
people will get no peace and prosperity, no matter whoever comes and go within
the present neo-colonial system.
15 Sep. 03