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Liberian Civil War Delaney The Struggle of the People: Liberian Civil War Interviewer: Zsari Delaney Interviewee: Yarkasah Peter Paye Instructor: Mr. Whitman February 11. 2014 Delaney Table of Contents Interviewer Release Form 1 Interviewee Release Form 2 Statement of Purpose 3 Biography 4-5 One Day We Will Find Democracy 6-16 Interview Transcription 17-61 Interview Analysis 62-67 Works Consulted 68-69 1 Delaney 3 Statement of Purpose The purpose of this American Century Oral History Project is to fully understand the horrific story behind the Liberian Civil War in 1989-1996. This is partially because there are a lot of life lasting issues that still remain in Liberia and desperately needs to be addressed. My interview with Yarkasah Peter Paye provides a firsthand account of the events occurring in the Liberian Civil War. My hope is that this project will educate the readers about this civil war, as well as advise the reader to understand Liberia’s current state and her road to a better future. 3 Delaney 4 Biography Yarkasah Peter Paye was born on July 2nd, 1970, in a small town called Firestone, Liberia. He grew up with his parents and seven other siblings in the capital city Monrovia, Liberia for most of his teenage years. Mr. Paye has lived in many places such as, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Florida, Virginia and currently Georgia. He received his undergraduate from Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary in 2 years, and then transferred to Luther Rice University and Seminary in Lithonia, Georgia. He received his Masters in Gerontology at Georgia State University and later got his Masters in Divinity at Virginia Union University. In 1997, Mr. Paye started working on the radio as a host in Liberia, with a devotional program called, “Christianity Today”. He also was a community counselor and is now currently a pastor. After much research and study, Mr. Paye established an organization as CEO called Healthy Nation in 2011, an organization to promote a healthy population through health education and disease prevention. Due to his line of work, Mr. 4 Delaney 5 Paye is a very passionate leader on helping the people in Liberia, hoping to decrease the percentage of illiteracy as well as the health issues in its communities. 5 Delaney 6 One Day We Will Find Democracy “All, hail, Liberia hail, All hail Liberia hail. This glorious land of liberty shall long be ours”. This is one of the most important lines in the Liberian national anthem. The American Colonization Society established the West African country, Liberia also known as “America’s Stepchild” or “The Lone Star”, in the early 1800’s. “Quaker members of the ACS felt that African Americans would have a much better chance at liberty in a country of their own than they would in America” (Duva). During this time, European countries were in a battle for maintaining their own colonies. However, Liberia, alongside Ethiopia was the only two African countries not colonized by any European or American country. After gaining its independence from America on July 26, 1847, Liberia experienced many successes and failures. Nevertheless, on December 24th, 1989, a group of Libyans led by Liberian politician Charles M. Taylor, invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast. President Samuel Doe led the government and once he was elected there was an increase of human abuse, mass corruption and ethnic tension. As a result of the two clashing, Liberia converted into bloodshed and a deadly war that lasted for seven turbulent years. Therefore, in order to understand the perspective of someone who witnessed the First Liberian Civil War, it is important to first examine the history of the birth of Liberia and the fight for freedom that tormented the lives of civilians throughout the country. In the early 1800's, the United States was debating over the future of slavery. In turn "the government made its first stand with regard to Liberia (known at the time as the Grain Coast)”(Duva). Prominent Americans such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John Randolph were a few members of the American Colonization Society. Their 6 Delaney 7 solution to slavery was to end it and send black back “home”. In addition to their goal, former president Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner, publicly agreed to support the ACS, as well as James Madison whom arranged public funding for the society. This movement was a very controversial one because a fair amount of the African-Americans wanted to stay in America. In September 1829, one of Boston’s leading abolitionist, David Walker, elaborated on colonization in his published pamphlet, Walker’s Appeal, reiterating that, “America is more our country than the whites—we have enriched it with our blood and tears” (Reef 18). Many slaves felt that they were being taken advantage due to the hard labor and abuse they encountered. Walker wanted the general public to understand that because of the labor they were forced to work, blacks were the ones giving them their cotton, food and etc. This angry pamphlet urged slaves to realize the truth of their being in America and to revolt against their masters. But most of the freed slaves were encouraged to return back to their own or some other land in Africa. However, suspicion arose for the motivation for this proposal. The members of the ACS felt that blacks would have better liberty in their own country, if they were sent back to Africa. This was an act of racism and protection for whites in case of slave rebellions. Nonetheless, before any slave rebellions were initiated in the U.S, the ACS settlement had been striving on the West Coast of Africa. In 1818, the ACS sent two representatives with freed slaves to West Africa to help search for a location to establish their new colony. Before leaving, they had signed a constitution that a member of the society would administer under U.S. laws in the new settlement. “On March 9, 1820, 86 black passengers aboard the boat Elizabeth landed in Sierra Leone comparing themselves to Israelites going to their promised land as depicted in the Bible” (Cooper 33). Once they 7 Delaney 8 arrived, they found shelter off the coast of West Africa on Scherbo Island, but many had died from malaria and other sick diseases. In 1821, the U.S. vessel continued its search for a new colony and landed in what is now called Liberia. Once they had arrived in this land, the U.S. Navy leaders tried to buy land from the natives, which consistently resisted Americans in the purchase of their land. “The Navy officer in charge, Lieutenant Robert Stockton, coerced a local ruler to sell a strip of land to the Society. The Scherbo Island group moved to this new location and other blacks from the United States joined them” ("Milestones: 1830-1860 Founding of Liberia"). The local native tribes continued to attack the new colony and in 1824, the American settlers built a blockade for their own protection. In the same year, the colony was named Liberia for the purpose of establishing liberty and freedom for the returning slaves from America. Its capital, Monrovia was named in honor of President James Monroe, who had procured the U.S. Government money for the project. About 140 years later, Liberia was still finding itself. The government finally replaced their constitution from the original one created in 1847. On April 12, 1980, the original constitution was suspended, following a violent coup d’état led by 28-year-old Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe of the Liberian army. A group of 17 soldiers whom were in the Liberian armed forces (AFL) had entered the Executive Mansion, housing the President William Tolbert1, a little after midnight to murder him. Current president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, whom at the time of the attack served under President Tolbert as his 1 William Tolbert was Liberia’s 20th president from 1971 to 1980. In early April of 1989, there was a major riot called, “rice riots” of which citizens protested against the government for increased prices of rice. This increased had dramatically impacted many Liberians whose average wage was $80 a month, could not afford to pay the high prices to feed their families. The price increase caused anger throughout the countryside, turning against the president. (Sirleaf 86). 8 Delaney 9 Minister of Finance from 1979-1980, mentioned that the coup was, “quickly overrunning Tolbert’s security forces and seizing and brutally killing President Tolbert2 in his bed” (Sirleaf 86). A year after President Tolbert was killed and overthrown, the makings of a new constitution emerged on April 12, 1981. Dr. Amos Sawyer, a political scientist was appointed to become chairman of the National Constitution Committee with a body of 25 members, given the job to rewrite the constitution. The final product was submitted to the Constitutional Advisory Committee (CAA), which was reviewed and approved on July 3rd, 1984, which was heavily modeled after the federal government of the Unites States (“The Constitution of the Republic”). However, within the next four years the whole dynamic in Liberia had changed. After the assassination of President Tolbert, Samuel Doe had become the new leader of Liberia in 1980 until he was elected by a rigged vote as the 21st president in 1985. Historians say that, “Samuel K. Doe brought the African majority to power, but instead of solving Liberia’s social problems, he instituted a reign of terror” (Reef 106). In late 1985, a failed coup d’état broke out against the president, killing hundreds of both Mano and Gio tribes that was mistreated by Doe’s regime.
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