Liberia News: Former President H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah letter to ECOWAS.

F

H.E. Omar Alieu Turay

President of the Commission

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Abuja

Federal Republic of Nigeria

August 23, 2024

Mr. President:

I write to draw your attention and through you, the Authority of Heads of State, to an unprovoked attack on the headquarters of our political institution, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on Thursday, August 22, 2024, by Liberian security forces under the dubious guise of effecting a drug raid. This premeditated and callous act of violence targeted at the country’s main opposition political party, is the latest in a series of actions by the Boakai Administration to trample upon political freedoms, disregard the laws of the land, undermine democracy and stoke tension in the country.

Earlier this month, On August 5, 2024, the nation witnessed a similar police action, again targeted at the headquarters of the CDC – where they illegally breached the entry to the compound while heavily armed. As former leaders of the country, we know that these brazen acts of aggression are under the instruction of President Joseph Boakai himself – who has said that he intends to diminish the CDC’s ability to mount any meaning political fight in the future.

During the attack on Thursday, which was reminiscent of our troubled past, the police fired hundreds of lethal and non-lethal rounds at unarmed civilians – whose only “crime” it seems is remaining ardent supporters and sympathizers of the CDC.

Various government security agencies involved in the raid have given conflicting accounts of why it was initiated, an indication of an attempt to cover up their real motive. This is happening while civil servants who are perceived to sympathize with the CDC are being harassed and purged out of the civil service.

May we also draw your attention to other transgressions, including the excessive use of force against any semblance of dissent by unarmed civilians which has resulted in several deaths; the non-prosecution of election-related killings that occurred on camera; the total disregard for the tenure laws of the country even in the face of the Liberia Supreme Court’s rulings, political weaponization of prosecutorial powers and the broad-day violations of the procurement and other statutory laws of the country.

While the CDC has ostensibly demonstrated its utmost regard for the maintenance of the hard-earned peace and respect for the rule of law, as was displayed recently through a peaceful transfer of power, we refuse to sit idly by and watch these transgressions persist. Currently, following the ill-fated raid at our Headquarters, the government has detained scores of our partisans and other citizens at the Monrovia central prison on trumped up charges. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.

President Boakai and his team must be under the illusion that they have such an overwhelming mandate to lead at their whims and wishes. That notion is a terrible mistake as true power rests with the people and not any government bent on ruling outside the ambit of the law.

All vested stakeholders with knowledge of the Liberian situation have lamented how deeply divided the country remains following the hard-fought presidential election. A well-meaning and supposedly “experienced” leader would make reconciling the nation his foremost priority. This is sadly not the case. President Boakai has apparently been overtaken by absolute power and we know where that leads as our history is replete with examples.

As a longtime actor on the political landscape of the country, he ought to be fully cognizant of the vices that brought our nation on its knees. We expect he would provide leadership that cautions against the abuse of power, erosion of democracy and rule of law. Instead, he’s leading the charge.

Excellency, over the past few years, our region has witnessed a marked rollback of democratic constitutional rule leading to various setbacks. In view of this, ECOWAS must now engage in proactive diplomatic interventions in countries such as Liberia to ensure that our fledgling democracy is not sacrificed by the misuse of power by the current regime.

May I iterate that in the wake of the statement by President Boakai to some legislators that he will erase the CDC from the political map of Liberia, we make it abundantly clear that the party is here to stay and will continue to remain a vibrant political force? In the face of such grave threats from the President followed by multiple nefarious actions against our very God-given rights to exist, all can be assured that we the CDC will utilize every right guaranteed by the constitution to ensure that we are not erased.

We implore you to convey this to the Boakai Administration; that as we strive to maintain the peace of the country, we will not tolerate our rights being abused.

Thanks for your continued cooperation.

Best regards.

George Manneh Weah, Sr.

POLITICAL LEADER