"SPOTLIGHT ON WEST AFRICAN POLITICS": FOCUS ON THE LIBERIAN AGENDA(FEED-BACK MAJOR FACTS ON THE LIBERIAN HISTORY TILL NOW!)(FIRST PART)!

Le 17 juin 2012 par IVOIREBUSINESS - The current liberian governement ruled by "ELLEN J SHIRLEAF" has recently closed officially the liberian border and openly accused ivorian activist "Ble Goude" in exile to be personnally involved in the current turmoil

around the liberian border right now! In the same trend, The major aim which stirs us to action is to make everything clear, as far as the liberian political set up and background is concerned since (1820), when AMERICA through the political pressure of the "Quakers" decided to bring the black captives to the land of freedom(Liberia) IN 1820!As a result, Liberian story began in (1820), when american black captives, descendents of africans were heading back to Africa, land of their ancestors, a kind of promised land and full freedom! Basically in USA, the Quakers were politically versus the american colonization society and pressured "Georges Washington" to free the black captives at that period! "The black captives were ready psychologically to determine their own destiny in Africa were they originated": For many, they felt that they could not never be free when being in USA ,because they were always wondering if they were full human beings or second class citizenship of a so called nation in that disgraceful slave status(400 hundred years of slavery)!Unfortunately, the expected trip labeled as back to the west african coast, was effective during the rainy season in (1820), a bad weather for people who were not accustomed to that new climate condition for years... In consequence, they got sick and caught(tropical fever, malaria), had died unfortunately in a large number.(In 1847), the independence of "Liberia" (land of freedom) was a kind of dream for the neighbouring west african states such as the "Ivory COAST" ,still under the french colonization at that particular period! The capital city of "Liberia" "Monrovia" was indeed named after the american president "Monroe"! Moreover, the "KRU" labour from the "IVORY Coast"(SAN-PEDRO, FRESCO) seized this worthy opportunity to join immigration in "LIBERIA" to work in the rubber(FIRESTONE) and cacao plantations in "Liberia" and earned a living financially speaking! On the other hand , in the "Ivory COAST" the "kru" labour was free , unpaid during the french colonization: it was the colonization status and rules at that particular period... Due to the confortable conditions of living in "LIBERIA", the "kru" labour never returned! To some extent, That special "kru" labour immigration in "Liberia" between 1820 and 1847, can basically and partly explain why one can come across a wide community of KRU both in the IVORY Coast and LIBERIA, also grounded in a true solidarity. Historically, "William Tubman" ruled LIBERIA from (1944 to 1971) and turned "Monrovia" into a modern city. When he passed, his vice president "William TOLBERT took over! Compared to "William TUBMAN", "Tolbert" has been accused of personal corruption and nepotism when those shortcomings became evidently an embarassment to the USA in 1979:His brother was the largest importer of rice in "LIBERIA", and his daughter was in top government position too... In addition to that crucial reality, most of his ministers were from the congos" tribe (american descendents who took the natives liberians for granted)! Furthermore, despite the fact that former ivorian president "Houphouët Boigny" advised his closest friend "William Tolbert" to integrate the liberian natives in the economic development of "LIBERIA", he seemed to be indeed stubborn! That was the obvious sign of what was to come in (1980),year of the first military coup in "LIBERIA" led by the master sergent "Samuel Kanyon DOE" closely with 16 liberian natives soldiers!

(Yves T BOUAZO)(To be continued-second part)