|
|
|
|
News Click Here to Read our Editorials |
|
|
|
Americo-Liberians
Rule or Indigenous Rule: There are many times when I am made to wonder as to why Liberia, a country of only 3.3 million people, have had to go through terrible times in its 157 years of existence. Liberia is known as a country of freed slaves but one gets confuse when he or she looks at what has transpired in that country since its formation. It all began in 1819 when the Congress of the United States authorized President James Monroe to provide $100,000 to the ACS (American Colonization Society) effort to purchase a suitable location in Africa for the colonization of America's free blacks. On December 15, 1821, the ACS purchased an area approximately 360 km (220 mi) south of Sierra Leone, an English colony established in 1787 for the colonization of British blacks. In 1822 the colony was named Liberia, and its capital was named Monrovia in honor of President James Monroe (United States fifth President). 1 The organization (ACS) depicted emigration as an opportunity for African Americans to introduce education and Christianity to their African brethren. One of the major reasons also to immigrate freed blacks to Africa (Liberia) was to enable African build themselves a modern home. The question that lingers in my mind and those of many Liberians today is whether the modern home that was anticipated has ever been built. Liberia is not only unique in Africa, given that it was the first in Africa to have gotten its independence in 1847, but it remains the only country in Africa that have had a female president and twelve of its presidents were American born. Despite its uniqueness Liberia can not boast of good infrastructures, very good schooling systems, good health systems, and better road network. Part of the reason I believe the “Modern Home” has not yet been built is because many Liberians have divided themselves into various groups, and each group continues to view itself as being more Liberian (More important) than the others. This division can easily be traced to the formation of Liberia in 1821 when the settlers and the indigenous people (commonly known as the country people—lack of formal education) clashed several times. When the freed blacks left the United States the first place in West Africa that they landed was the Shebro Island between Liberia and Sierra Leone. Due to the high death rate among the freed Slaves which resulted from Malaria, Members of the ACS decided to search for a better place and it was during this search that they found this piece of land now call Liberia. The Gola tribe to which I belong is one of those that were found on that Land. Members of the ACS negotiated with the Elders and Chiefs and they came to an amicable agreement to have the freed blacks that were on Shebro Island settled in this land today called Liberia. At
first, living
together was an exciting thing for both the settlers(Americo-Liberians)
and the indigenous people(Natives of the land) but not long enough
that Americo-Liberians
began to exercise dominant role over the natives, given that some
freed slaves had acquired little
or some formal education during their time of slavery. The Americo-Liberians
also began to structure political systems in Liberia that only they
participated in. This situation of settlers being the rulers did not
go down too well with the Indigenous people. Thus several crisis
emerged; eventhough these crisis were later resolved.
Many Historians and Politicians believe that the fourteen
(14) years civil crisis bears its roots from the crisis between the
Americo-Liberians and the indigenous People in 1822. From the first president of Liberian, Joseph Jenkins Roberts (A Virginia born US citizen) to William R. Tolbert (An Americo-Liberian), Liberia did not experience actual Development. Infact during the tenure of President William V. S Tubman (an Americo-Liberian) Liberia experienced one of the best economies in the world but yet the worst education system, worst health care system and the least infrastructure development. Our Gross Domestic Product was comparable to that of the Western World, as many multimillion companies like Firestone Rubber Plantation and the Liberian Mining Company, all United States based corporations, were operating in the country. Taxes collected from Companies operating in the Country were being pocketed by just a few group of people--President Tubman and his half educated cabinets. The Americo-Liberians
however did not only continue fiscal indisciplines and other
corrupt practices in Liberia but also differentiated themselves from
the Natives. Until recently, intermarriage was not a common thing
between children of Americo-Liberians and Indigenous. The
1980 coup? The Indigenous people got tired of Liberia
being ruled by just one group of people and also the kind of
segregation that existed. These among several other reasons led to
the popular support that the then President of Liberia, Mr. Samule
Doe received from the indigenous people in the streets of Monrovia
in the year 1980 when he overthrow
President William R. Tolbert(an Americo-Liberian). As the
indigenous people are in the majority in Liberia, their support for
Samuel Doe emerged from the conviction that an Indigenous head of
state would have represented their interest. Not only did the
majority of Liberians believe that it was now time for a native rule
but that Samuel Doe would have incorporated other native born into
government to help make decisions to move the country and the
economy forward. To the
surprise of many Liberians Samuel Doe began to appoint his tribes
men and other relatives to very important governmental and
autonomous agency positions. Many of the Krahns (Tribe to which Doe
belonged) and other relatives of Samuel Doe that held these high
office positions were not only half educated at the time (did not
complete high schools) but were unable to perform the tasks. Thus,
other Liberians employed in these offices as Special Assistants or
Administrative Assistants were the ones that secretly performed the
tasks while the Krahn bosses got the pay for the job. This practice
got widespread until almost every Liberian could not stop gossiping
about it in the streets. Unable to speak our minds in the public, as
arrest from the Doe government would just be awaiting anyone that
spoke out the ills in such government, Liberians began once more
frustrated and confuse. The
December 1989 rebel invasion Liberians were once more hoping for a savior, as every Government Ministry was like property for Samuel Doe and his relatives. This frustration and confusion led to the popular support that Charles Taylor (an Americo-Liberian) received in December 1989 especially from the Gio and Mano Tribes (common enemies of the Doe’s government) when he entered Liberian to oust Samule Doe’s government. Charles Taylor administration soon became the worst in Liberia. Mr. Taylor did not only squander the resources of Liberia for his personal use but his administration could be discerned as the worst in terms of human right abuses. Mr. Taylor’s son, Chucky Taylor took away the lives of many Liberians with impunity. Charles Taylor ‘s house of Senates and Representatives were composed of enough incompetent people, most of whom were his former fighters and loyalists , to an extend that no one single Senator or Representative could challenge any of his decisions. It can now be seen that Liberia has not significantly benefited from either an Americo-Liberian rule or an Indigenous rule. Liberians need to consolidate their efforts in the search for a president who will love the country and its people. If for one moment we as Liberians can set aside the division between Americo-Liberians and the indigenous people on the one hand, and the Gio and Krahn tribal conflict on the other, we can do better. The other thing that Liberians need to put to rest is the division between the Christians and the Muslims; I have seen many Christian children that were born unto the union of Muslim families. The “Modern Home” that should have been built for the freed African slaves is yet to be built. Liberians need to be more than united in their efforts to build themselves the civilized and modern society that was anticipated in 1819. |
To
advertise or place an announcement on LIMANY.org, editors@limany.org
|
Announcement |
|
LIMANY'S |
|
Announcement |
|
LIMANY'S MEETING |
|
Announcement |
|
LIBERIAN MANDINGOES RECONCILIATION
CONFERENCE |
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
Mohammad
M. Keita |
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
