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LIBERIA: the DISSOLUTION of PRIVILEGE Part 11: a Year of Ferment by J 1980INo. 40 Africa LIBERIA: THE DISSOLUTION OF PRIVILEGE Part 11: A Year of Ferment by J. Gus Liebenow The Tolbert government had building toward a coup; instead, repression helped the opposition groups coalesce while blatant corruption revea!ed the vulnerability of the Whig regime. [JGL-2-'801 The American Universities Field INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS Staff, Inc., founded in 1951, is a non- University of Alabama American profit, membership corporation of Brown University Americ/an educational institutions. It California State Universities employs a full-time staff of foreign University/Fullerton area specialists who write from California State abroad and make periodic visits to UniversityINorthridge Field Staff member institutions. AUFS serves the public through its seminar pro- University of Connecticut grams, films, and wide-ranging pub- Dartmouth College lications on significant develop- lndiana University ments in foreign societies. Institute for Shipboard Education University of Kansas Michigan State University University of Pittsburgh Ramapo College of New Jersey Utah State University University of Wisconsin System AUFS Reports are a continuing Associates of the Field Staff are series on international affairs and chosen for their ability to cut across Reports major global issues of our time. the boundaries of the academic dis- Reports have for almost three ciplines in order to study societies in decades reached a group of their totality, and for their skill in col- readers- both academic and non- lecting, reporting, and evaluating academic-who find them a useful data. They combine long residence source of firsthand observation of abroad with scholarly studies relat- political, economic, and social trends ing to their geographic areas of in foreign countries. Reports in the interest. Each Field Staff Associate series are prepared by writers who returns to the United States periodi- are full-time Associates of the cally to lecture on the campuses of American Universities Field Staff the consortium's member institu- and occasionally by persons on leave tions. from the organizations and univer- sities that are the Field Staff's spon- sors. THE AUTHOR Association and a member of the Fellow at Harvard University; and re- Executive Council of the International ceived his Ph.D. in Political Science African Institute in London. from Northwestern University in 1955. A member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Professor Liebenow began his field work Kappa Phi, he taught at the University of in Africa in 1953, and he has spent 6 of Texas before coming to lndiana Univer- the past 25 years doing research, teach- sity in 1958. He was the first Director of ing, and service in tropical Africa. He is African Studies at lndiana (1960-1972) the author of Liberia: The Evolution of and served as Dean for International Privilege; Colonial Rule and Political Programs (1968-1972) and Vice Presi- Development in Tanzania: The Case of dent for Academic Affairs for the the Makonde; African Attitudes towards lndiana University system (1972-1974). Agriculture, Education, and Rural Trans- formation; and of numerous journal articles and chapters in edited volumes. Dr. Liebenow is a specialist on the prob- lems of local government; urbanization; management of the African environ- ment; politics ,of migration; and feder- J. GUS LIEBENOW, Professor of Polit- alism. ical Science at lndiana University, is one Dr. Liebenow received his B.A. (summa of the pioneers in the study of politics in 0 1980, American Universities Field cum laude) and M.A. from the Univer- sub-Saharan Africa. He is the immediate Staff, Hanover, NH Past President of the African Studies sity of Illinois; was a Goodwin Memorial 19801No. 40 by J. Gus Liebenow LIBERIA: THE DISSOLUTION Africa [JG L- 2 -'801 OF PRIVILEGE Part II: A Year of Ferment As was pointed out in an insightful turned to cash crops or to employ- day's events. So alarmed was the and courageous statement before ment in the enclave economies in Whig leadership that Tolbert-as the commission of inquiry into the order to pay their taxes and meet Siaka Stevens of Sierra Leone had Rice Riots of April 14, 1979, the situ- other needs. All of this, Dr. Sawyer done previously-called upon Presi- ation could have been avoided. Dr. insisted, was known to government dent Skkou Tour6 of Guinea to dis- Amos Sawyer-a professor of polit- economists. patch Guinean troops to restore ical science and acting dean at the order. One of my contacts said that University of Liberia as well as a key Having made the first mistake of his most terrifying memory of the actor during the Year of Ferment- ignoring their own economists, the Rice Riots was the sight of the reminded the commission that gov- government made the second mis- Guinean MIG fighters making low ernment officials were already take of not anticipating that some passes over the disturbed area. The aware of the devastating effect that form of public reaction was inevit- situation was so out of hand that a a 50 percent increase in the price of able. Instead, when one of the dissi- number of observers were con- the main staple of the Liberian diet dent groups-the Progressive Alli- vinced- in retrospect- that any would have upon the already im- ance of Liberia, or PAL-called for a determined group of protesters demonstration on April 14, the gov- poverished family budgets. The could that day have easily stormed average monthly income of urban ernment panicked and banned the the Executive Mansion and brought Liberians was roughly $80. The new projected protest march as well as about the fall of the Tolbert regime price for a bag of rice would have threatening to take severe action almost a year earlier than the April been $30. Although rice is grown in against demonstrators. 1980 coup. Tolbert, it was reported, the country, the need for imported The PAL demonstration, consisting was in a state of hysteria. rice has grown steadily, accounting of over 2,000 unarmed students and in 1979 for 25 percent of the 200,000 other citizens, took place as planned Instead of acknowledging its role in tons consumed. The reason is despite the government's deploy- precipitating the 1979 Rice Riots simple. Despite all Tolbert's rhetoric ment of soldiers and police along (other than rescinding its order in- about the country being self-suffi- the main route of march. Tanks creasing the price of rice), the cient in food, there was little incen- were placed menacingly at major Tolbert government began a mas- tive for the tribal farmer to grow intersections. Although the soldiers sive roundup and detention not only rice. Unlike the export crops that the apparently restrained themselves in of PAL leaders, but of many other honorables grew on their absentee- the face of this confrontation, the political dissidents as well. The writ owned farms (such as rubber, Monrovia police lost control and of habeas corpus was suspended. cocoa, coffee, and others), rice was after tear gas had failed to disperse Some 33 of the several score not a subsidized crop. The price, the marchers, they began firing in- arrested were charged with "treason moreover, had been set artificially discriminately into the crowd. This and attempting to overthrow the low by the government. Because action so outraged the marchers as government" - charges which car- government had discouraged coop- well as others not directly involved ried the death penalty or long years eratives as being potentially polit- that there ensued a day of uncon- in prison. Various other measures ical, and government - sponsored trolled rioting and looting. The were taken under Emergency marketing arrangements had not shops of Lebanese merchants, who Powers legislation. It was a full three been created, the tribal growers had were felt to be directly responsible weeks before the 700 Guinean no alternative but to sell their rice at for inflation in Monrovia, and others troops were returned home. The drastically reduced prices to Leb- were singled out as targets. Most lesson of the Rice Riots was, anese farmers, from whom they significantly, however, was the fact however, clear for many. It had would have to buy the same rice that somewhere between 40 and demonstrated the vulnerability of back at inflated prices during the 140 students and others (depending the government and the fact that "hungry months." Thus, beyond upon which estimate you accept) even a loosely organized but de- growing enough rice for the imme- had been killed and an additional termined opposition could capitalize diate family, most growers had 400 persons were wounded in the upon events to challenge the regime. April 14, 1979, marked the timing of the deal was critical. As be upcountry at the time). Failing to beginning of the end. Out of the the pamphleteer Albert Porte and have the audience, Mathews then dust of that day, two civilian oppo- the leaders of the second group, called upon the country to observe a sition groups could be unmistakenly MOJA, had pointed out, it would general strike the next day in order identified as rivals to the regime, have been a great embarrassment to force Tolbert's resignation from and a third force-the military-was for Tolbert-who as Chairman of the presidency instead of having to beginning to gather political mo- the Organization of African Unity wait until 1983. mentum in the wings. was hosting the OAU in Monrovia in June 1979-to have so many polit- The reaction of Tolbert was no The Opposition Organizations ical prisoners in the stockade at doubt predictable. Instead of re- signing he denounced the PPP The first of the two civilian groups Barclay Training Center. Thus, in was the group that had sponsored the traditional Liberian political leadership in scathing terms and declared, in effect, "that he was the demonstrations, the Progressive style, Mathews wrote an abject tired of being Mr.
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