–Anti-SUP Aggressors Exposed; Koijee Accused as Mastermind
–GOL, Others Calls for Probe and Prosecution
On Tuesday, July 26, 2022, members of the University of Liberia (UL) campus-based students’ political party, the Students Unification Party (SUP) in keeping with their previous pronouncement peacefully assembled at the gates of the United States Embassy in Monrovia to protest and present a position to the US government through the Embassy, in which it calls on the Government of Liberia headed by President George Weah to the ‘Fix The Country.
SUP, had planned way in advance to protest on the day of Liberia’s 175th Independence Anniversary in the face of ‘Extreme Hardship, Despicable Suffering and Sordid Social Decadence across the Country.
In a previous statement on Monday, July 18, 2022, SUP Chairman Mustapha N. Kanneh noted that in a country where people are dying from curable diseases and hospitals are shut down due to poor support, the Independence Day celebrations were useless.
The UL student group claims the last five years of the Weah Administration have been very turbulent for ordinary Liberians as discontentment, hopelessness and frustration have overwhelmed them due to what the UL campus-based student group said is poor leadership.
On Thursday, July 21, 2022, SUP presented a position statement to the United States Embassy in which it reiterated calls for the US authorities and the Liberian Senate to ensure good governance. The UL student group also called on the US Government to prevent its citizens working in the Liberian Government from engaging in corrupt practices that help to put Liberia backward.
This is not the first time that SUP has protested or threatened to protest against this regime.
In early April this year, SUP threatened unspecified actions if their demand for the renovation of the university’s campuses couldn’t be met by the university’s authority, which is heavy subsidized by the Liberian Government.
But prior to SUP’s July 26 Independence Day ‘Fix The Country’ peaceful protest, a pro-government group calling itself ‘Coalition for Democratic Change – Council of Patriots (CDC-COP)’ had released a statement that it would counter-protest the SUP’s ‘Fix The Country’ protest.
Despite the CDC-COP’s public statement, the Liberia National Police (LNP) headed by Inspector General Patrick Sudue, who some accused of being a partisan police chief, failed to provide security for the SUP “revolutionaries,” who had announced that they would assemble on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at the Gates of the US Embassy on Snapper Hill, Benson Street.
And, so in keeping with their previous pronouncement, SUP activists peacefully gathered at the gates of the United States Embassy on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, wielding placards, and chanted slogans and as well jubilantly danced as they called on the Weah’s administration to ‘Fix The Country’.
Had members of the University of Liberia (UL) campus-based Students Unification Party (SUP) known of a counter-protest by that gangs group that called itself ‘CDC Council of Patriots’, they would have be in readiness to protect themselves against the group that brands itself as a pro-government, who some Liberians described as ‘hooligans and gangsters’ during their peaceful protest at the Gates of the US Embassy in Monrovia.
While the members of the “vanguard” Students Unification Party were peacefully gathered near the premises of the United States Embassy on Benson Street near Monrovia, no sooner had their peaceful protest picked pace when the stones began to fly.
The student protesters carried banners with the prescription, ‘Fix the Country’. Journalists, including reporters of this Independent Pro Newspaper and Probe Online-TV Live, who were on the scene, also took to their heels to protect first, themselves, and second, their equipment after all.
The chase ensued upon the arrival on the scene of members of the so-called ruling ‘Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Council of Patriots’, who hauled and threw stones at the anti-government protesters, who are mainly students of the nation’s highest institution of learning, the University of Liberia. The ‘SUPists’ fled in different directions for cover and their lives.
The Students Unification Party had gathered before the US Embassy up Benson Street to protest the hardship in the country. But the pro-government goons also accused the UL campus-based SUP of being sponsored by leaders of the opposition community.
Aftermath of the CDC-COP Violence, Brutality against SUP Members
In the aftermath of Tuesday’s Independence Day nasty showdown before the United States Embassy near Monrovia, and “belated” ordering of the investigation by the Government of Liberia (GOL), the authoritative Independent Probe has investigated and gathered the names of aggressors in the violent attack against SUP-Activists.
During the attack, several members of the Student Unification Party (SUP) at the state-run University of Liberia, were left injured in a counter-protest staged by supporters of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
On Tuesday, July 26, one of SUP designated spots of its much-heralded “Fix The Country” campaign aimed at denouncing “bad governance” and its vices including corruption, poverty, and insecurity under the Weah-led administration came under sustained attack.
SUP stated that its campaign was also intended to dissuade citizens from joining the Government in celebrating Liberia’s 175th Independence.
While the official ceremony was being held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion on Ashmun Street, SUP’s assembly soon turned sour at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy up Snapper Hill, Benson Street when a pro-government group, the CDC- Council of Patriots stormed the protest ground and attacked SUP members. While many SUP members fled, some were caught by the pro-government group.
Disturbing footage from the protest ground showed a member of SUP, identified as Christopher Walter Sisulu Sivili being beaten and tortured. In what appeared to be a disturbing reminiscence of the brutal civil war, the student was seen surrounded by a group of CDC loyalists who pounded him with heavy blows and slaps. They stripped him naked as blood oozed from his nose and mouth. Some rained insults on him, and tortured him, and said he and his colleagues were being ungrateful to President Weah, who, among other things, has offered them free tuition.
Police Stood Idly By Without Intervening
Where was the Police? Of a little over an hour that the SUP protesters stayed near the US Embassy, dancing and singing anti-government songs, officers of the Liberia National Police, were not in sight until the pro-CDC or government protesters arrived on the scene and successfully dispersed the UL students’ protesters.
After the pro-government protesters had dispersed the anti-GOL protesters, they read a statement to reporters in which they outlined the achievements of the government, particularly President George Weah, who they also petitioned to seek a second term of office in the 2023.
As he (Christopher Walter Sisulu Sivili) was being brutalized, police stood by, watched, and laughed without doing anything to rescue him; much to the astonishment of journalists and some onlookers and motorcyclists who later came to his rescue after he was abandoned by his tormentors. Another member of SUP identified as Paul Dolo was also wounded. Some members are still missing, according to SUP officials.
Police Officer Hilton Gardener, who is said to be assigned at the Ashmun Street Police Depot, is clearly seen a video from the scene, laughing and walking past as Christopher was being brutalized.
Critics of the Liberia National Police, who have always branded it pro-government Police, have accused the force of bias because it failed to provide security for protesters of the UL vanguard Students Unification Party that had earlier announced their protest few weeks before the Independence Day celebrations. But a senior police officer, who begged for anonymity for fear of losing his job, admitted that the police performed poorly and created the impression that they arrived on the protest scene only to protect members of the ‘CDC Council of Patriots’ that launched the counter-protest.
Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee Accused as the Mastermind; But Refutes Allegation
Meanwhile, the Spokesperson of SUP, Mohammed Shabazz Jalloh accused Mayor Jefferson Koijee as the mastermind behind the CDC supporters’ brutal, barbarism and gangsterism action against members of the vanguard student party, whose only quest is for the George Weah-led government to ‘Fix The Country’
Said Jalloh: “What occurred Tuesday, was total hooliganism and gangsterism and Jefferson Koijee was the ringleader of what occurred because what we saw, these were elements of the CDC Youth Wing. They went there and along with several members of the CDC Youth Wing.”
The social media has also been filled with posts from several Liberians who have accused the Monrovia City Mayor of being the main Mastermind by the violence meted against the SUP activists who had gathered around premises of the US Embassy near Monrovia.
Meanwhile, Mayor Koijee has refuted allegation that he masterminded the violence meted against SUP peaceful protestors. Major Koijee spoke to several local media institutions and journalists to deny ever masterminding such ‘devilish’ act carried against SUP peaceful activists on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 in Monrovia.
The Monrovia City Mayor then called on the Government of Liberia to investigate and prosecute all those who perpetrated the violence against SUP members on Tuesday. He said prosecution of the culprits will serve as a deterrent for would-be violators of the law.
Classified Leaked Transcript Exposes Anti-SUP Aggressors
In all this, a classified leaked transcript available to IPNEWS has named several partisans of the ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) as the aggressors of Tuesday’s violence peaceful protesters.
Those named in the attack against the peaceful SUP Protesters are Ben Believed Togba, Foday M. Massaquoi, ringleader Thomas Oneal Roberts – Youth Chair, District #2; Melvin Mawolo – Chairman District #3, and Gayazeon Davies – Youth Chairman District # 10. Others named in the leaked transcript include David Saydee – Youth Chairman District # 13. Saydee, was clearly seen in videos flooding the social media undressing SUP-militant Christopher Walter Sisulu Sivili.
The CDC in its release Wednesday, July 27, condemned the attack on SUP, and called for a swift investigation into the attack.
The Coalition for Democratic Change stated that it is shocked by allegations of violence on Tuesday, July 26, in Monrovia and expressed its total disapproval.
The CDC release noted that as a peaceful, law-abiding, and nonviolent political institution will continue to maintain a zero-tolerance policy against any form of violence.
“Besides, the use of violence as a medium through which political expressions are sought is reprehensible, unjustified, and runs contrary to the ideology and philosophy of the CDC.
Henceforth, the CDC condemns in the strongest possible terms these alleged acts of brutality committed by lawless elements and calls on the Liberia National Police to launch a speedy investigation (on all sides) determined to establish the facts and to bring the culprits to justice.
Therefore, as we call for the prosecution of all those allegedly involved, the CDC assures the Liberia National Police of its unconditional cooperation, if needed.
We also call on the Liberia National Police to conduct a holistic investigative process in response to strong allegations that members of the CDC (who are being treated in different hospitals) sustained injuries meted out by anti-government protesters in different locations.
Lastly, we use this medium to encourage the combined political opposition to confront the CDC-led government more openly if they will, rather than hiding behind members of the student community to portray a false sense of governance dysfunction.”
Meanwhile, several pro-democracy organizations including NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL), and CEMESP, among others have all condemned in the strongest term, the ill-treatment meted against protesting students of the Students Unification Party (SUP) by a group loyal to the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) under the banner of CDC Council of Patriots (CDC-COP).
Gov’t, Political Parties Condemn Humiliation of ’26 Day Protestors, Call for Investigation
In the wake of the July 26 Independence Day violence between the Campus-based Student Unification Party (SUP) and pro-government group under the banner, the CDC-Council of Patriots, the governing Coalition for Democracy Change (CDC) and the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) have engulfed into a web of acrimonious claims and counterclaims.
On Tuesday, July 26, SUP, Africa’s oldest student movement, assembled at the United States Embassy on Benson Street in Monrovia, one of the designated spots of its much heralded “Fix The Country” campaign aimed at denouncing what it termed as bad governance and its vices including corruption, poverty and insecurity under the Weah-led administration.
The campaign, according to SUP, was also intended to dissuade citizens from joining the Government in celebrating Liberia’s 175th Independence.
While the official ceremony was being held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion on Ashmun Street in Monrovia, the students’ protest soon turned sour at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy up Snapper Hill on Benson Street when the CDC- Council of Patriots led by its leader Ben Tokpah, stormed the protest ground and attacked SUP members. While many SUP members fled, some were caught up in the melee.
Opposition ANC Condemns Violence
A day after the incident, the ANC, through its political leader Alexander Cummings joined SUP in accusing the ruling party’s hierarchy of instigating the violence.
In a statement, the ANC said: The Alternative National Congress has strongly condemned the unprovoked violent attack, torture and humiliation, on peaceful protesting students of the University of Liberia under the banner of the Student Unification Party (SUP), by state-sponsored thugs and bandits, recruited, organized trained and financed by Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill and President George Weah – for the sole purpose of violently crushing political dissent and instilling fear and terror in the opposition community and citizens who disagree with the Government’s policies and practices.”
According to the ANC, “The group of thugs and bandits, under the command and instruction of Jefferson Koijee, were, during the violent attack, led by officials of the CDC-COP including Ben Believe Togba, Poker Roberts and one Abdurahman Barrie, outgoing Student Council President from the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU).”
According to a local daily FrontPage Africa quoting the ANC reported that Barrie is believed to head the Consortium of University Students for the Re-election of President Weah. Further laying its claims, the ANC noted that few minutes after the violent attacks, Togba, leader of the attackers, wrote boastfully on his page: “Under special instructions from our supreme leader Jefferson Tamba Koijee, we carried out attacks against UL students (SUP) this morning. Next time we will use live bullets!”
The ANC called on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, Jr., to immediately order a full investigation of the alleged mastermind of the violence.
“ANC is therefore calling on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, Jr., to immediately order a full investigation and the arrest and prosecution of Jefferson Koijee, Ben Believe Toba, Poker Roberts, Abdurahman Barrie, and others, for the violent attacks on peaceful protesting students.”
The opposition party has also written a letter to Liberia’s Justice Minister Dean, with copies to U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy, the African Union and ECOWAS in which it frowned on what “appears to be a persistent pattern of conduct of grooming and institutionalizing domestic terror by President Weah and his surrogates including Nathaniel McGill and Jefferson Koijee to distribute violence through thugs and bandits in order to instill fear in the opposition community and silent dissenting voices.”
CDC Blames Opposition Community
However, in a counter statement, the CDC, through its National Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, denied the allegations, and in turn accused the opposition of supporting the students to create an unfavorable environment for the government.
“… we use this medium to encourage the combined political opposition to confront the CDC-led government more openly if they will, rather than hiding behind members of the student community to portray a false sense of governance dysfunction,” the CDC said through its Chairman Morlu.
The CDC said, as a peaceful, law-abiding and nonviolent political institution, it will continue to maintain a zero-tolerance policy against any form of violence.
It added that the use of violence as a medium through which political expressions are sought is reprehensible, unjustified and runs contrary to the ideology and philosophy of the party.
“The CDC condemns in the strongest possible terms these alleged acts of brutality committed by lawless elements and calls on the Liberia National Police to launch a speedy investigation (on all sides) determined to establish the facts and to bring the culprits to justice.”
It also called on the Liberia National Police to conduct a holistic investigative process in response to strong allegations that members of the CDC (who are being treated in different hospitals) sustained injuries meted out by anti-government protesters in different locations.
PUL Condemns Violence
Also, in reaction to the incident, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has condemned as cruel and anti-democratic the 2022 Independence Day violence on the sidelines of the celebrations.
In a statement through its Secretary General, Musa MB Kanneh, the PUL said members of the SUP had for weeks informed the public of what it had built as the “Fix Liberia Campaign”.
“The party said it was peaceably assembling to petition their government and partners to improve the living standard of the people. To actualize their plan, the Student Unification Party placed some of its members before the United States Embassy, the group was infiltrated by the CDC- COP thus leaving many of them injured.”
The PUL, in its accounts, revealed that the CDC- COP operatives were seen chasing after the SUP militants, destroying, beating, and attacking inhabitants of the Greystone Community neighboring the US Embassy in Liberia.
It called on the Liberia National Police, CDC and the Liberian Government to investigate the “embarrassing” impasse and violation of the laws.
Government Orders Investigation
Amid the endless claims and counter claims, Justice Minister Musa Dean has instructed Police Inspector General Patrick Sudue to immediately launch a full-scale investigation into the incident.
The Government, through the Ministry of Justice said it “categorically condemns the street violence that happened in Monrovia on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, involving two rival groups purporting to be some students of the University of Liberia campus-based Students Unification Party (SUP) and the CDC-COP.”
The Government through Information Minister Ledgerhood J. Rennie said the Images of the violence being posted on social media show unwarranted use of force and maltreatment of some participating youths which has no place in the country’s newfound democracy.
“The Attorney General, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean Jr., has accordingly called on the police to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book in keeping with the laws of Liberia. The Government wants to make it clear that while it encourages all citizens to express their views on national issues their methods must be in conformity with law,” Rennie said.
Minister Rennie stated that Articles 13 and 15 of the Liberian Constitution guarantee such rights. However, he noted that the named constitutional provisions clearly express the safeguarding of public order, public safety as well as rights and freedom of others.
In addition, he said the Ministry of Justice has clarified that it did not receive a request from any group to march in the streets of Monrovia on Tuesday, July 26, whether in protest for or against the Liberian Government.
A formal request for any such action is a cardinal requirement by law, which can be conveyed through a written petition to the Ministry of Justice for a permit, he said.
He mentioned that the Liberia National Police Act of 2015 Section III Article 22.86 which also deals with ‘Public Order’, mandates any persons wanting to hold such a march or protest to contact the Minister of Justice in keeping with the law.
Had such a request come to the Ministry of Justice, the information minister said the government would have acted to ensure public safety and order by scheduling the rival groups at different times.
“The Government is encouraging all individuals who witnessed the Tuesday, July 26 violence to assist the Police with its investigation. They can be assured that their identities will be protected, and information held confidentially,” he noted.
Creeping Monsters ahead ‘Elections 2023’
According to political pundits, activists, commentators among others, the barbaric and brutal perpetration of attacks against peaceful students of the UL campus-based SUP on Tuesday, July 26 2022 Independence Day celebration reminds many Liberians about the brutal days and regimes of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe and jailed former President Charles Taylor, where students were most times suppressed with barbaric acts by state actors and their security apparatuses as well as their pro-government groups, just to keep people from speaking truth to power.
The behavior of the pro-government CDC-COP against students of the University of Liberia who had gathered as a campus-based political party to express their frustration on how the country is being governed by the CDC-led administration headed by President George Weah, has shown that ‘creeping monsters’ are being created ahead of the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections, where President Weah and his CDC government will be seeking a second term mandate from the Liberian people.
The violence that marked the 175th Independence Anniversary on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, political jurists say must be considered a clear signal and reminder of the administration of President George Weah and his Coalition for Democratic Change that unless the security, rights to freedom of speech and expression of the citizens are guaranteed under the law, Liberia is sitting on a time bomb.
In the wake up the Independence Day violent incident that occurred near the premises of United States Embassy, Liberians and political actors have begun to sense that unless the Government institutes the requisite security measures, the 2023 presidential and general elections which is about sixteen months from now, is likely to become chaotic.
The pundits opined that the unleashing of ‘creeping monsters, gangsters, hooligans, thugs, goons,] among others on peaceful students who had gone to the US Embassy to express their constitutional rights sends a wrong signal that the 2023 presidential and legislative elections might come to a political turbulence that the opposition may not be able to navigate as the ruling establishment is now being accused of throwing stones and hiding their hands in regards to the July 26 Independence Day brutal violence meted against SUP members right around the premises of the US Embassy in Monrovia.
Liberia Council of Churches Deplores Vandalism and Hooliganism against SUP
One of the latest and barrage of condemnations came from the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC). The Christian religious group, in a press release, said its attention had been drawn to a video circulating on social media where a student of the University of Liberia is being manhandled and treated like a common criminal by some alleged members of the CDC-COP, which is appalling and doesn’t represent any civilized nation like Liberia.
“The Council of Churches acknowledges condemnation by the government and its call for the Liberia National Police to investigate the violence, we, however, pray that the investigation should be inclusive of national respectable stakeholders and done very speedily so as to bring credibility to the investigation and set an example of accountability, against unprovoked criminal acts and unnecessary violence while proclaiming to the world that no one is above the law, and that such actors of violence will not enjoy impunity at the expense of other citizens. Therefore, those individuals who are vividly seen in the video carrying out such acts of unprovoked violence on their fellow Liberian Citizen, should be speedily brought to justice.”
This Press Release from the Council of Churches also encouraged the Independent National Commission on Human Rights to get fully involved because report what appears to be obvious
