50 Arrested In Sunday Night Riot
by M. Welemongai Ciapha & Fatoumata Fofana

Published:  13 December, 2005

MONROVIA, December 13 -- Police are awaiting instructions from the Justice Ministry and other stakeholders regarding how to deal decisively with the Sunday night violence in which several people were seriously injured and vehicles damaged.

Speaking to a local radio station last night, Police Inspector General Joseph Kerkula could not say exactly what the law enforcement agencies contemplated doing to prevent recurrence of the riot in which at least 50 people were arrested and 11 police officers seriously wounded.

Stone throwing rioters clashed with the police Sunday night shortly after the flag bearer of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), George Weah, returned home from a two-week tour of South Africa and Ghana and declared himself the “elected” president of Liberia.

The incident is a sequel to the rejection by Weah and his supporters of the November 8 presidential run-off. The CDC members claimed that the election was “fraudulent” and have been seeking to overturn the result of the election widely believed to have been won by Unity Party standard-bearer Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

Inspector Kerkula told reporters yesterday that those arrested would be prosecuted accordingly. He said one of the policemen who sustained serious injuries is on a critical list at a local hospital in Monrovia.

The riot broke our less than 24 hours after the government issued a statement revealing alleged plans by unknown people to overthrow the government. The official statement contended that the government had credible evidence to prove that plans were afoot by certain persons to cause instability and chaos in the country.” Reliable sources said an unnamed junior cabinet minister was being investigated in connection with the plot.

It has not been clearly established whether the foiling of the coup plot was related to the Sunday night riot, which began shortly after Weah had departed the CDC's Congo Town headquarters where he had gone to declare himself the 'elected president' of the Republic of Liberia.

Inspector Kekula told reporters that following the departure of Mr. Weah from the CDC headquarters, people believed to be partisans of the CDC jumped into the streets and set up roadblocks to stop the normal flow of traffic.

He further explained that officers of the Liberia National Police arrived at the scene, advised the CDC supporters to leave the streets. But they threw stones at the police, he said. The police boss also disclosed to a local radio station last night that several supporters of the CDC were found with petrol bombs and rubber bullets.

The acting Police Director informed journalists that Weah's supporters chanted his slogans and threatened that there will be no inauguration if he was not endorsed as the winner of the election.

However, CDC secretary general Eugene Nagbe, denied all allegations made against the party. Nagbe told a local radio station last night that 50 members of the CDC suffered serious injuries in the riot in which, he claimed, supporters of president-elect Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf allegedly provided funds for the police to provoke the CDC.

The Sunday night clash between the police and supporters of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) left several vehicles belonging to the police component of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) damaged and at least four UNMIL officers severely injured.

It all began at about 6:30 p.m. when the CDC leader George Weah arrived at his party's headquarters and declared himself the “elected” president of Liberia.

According to the International Police Service (IPS) Commissioner, Mohammed Al-Hassan, after Mr. Weah's address, a large crowd from the CDC compound threw stones at the Liberian Police Officers (LNP) and the Civilian Police Officers (CIVPOL) that were on duty at a gas station adjacent the party's compound.

He told the Daily Observer in an exclusive interview that at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, a huge crowd of CDC partisans again attacked the same gas station. This time, he said, the stones left two LNP officers seriously injured while two CIVPOL officers sustained slight injuries.

He said specifically, 14 UN vehicles were targeted with their windshields destroyed as a result of the stone throwing by the CDC supporters.

“As we chased them, they broke-up into smaller groups and took advantage of the darkness to launch their attacks on the Old Road and around the Kailando Hotel area,” he added.

Commissioner Al-Hassan told this paper that this situation went on until 10 o'clock when UNMIL managed to put the riot under control. He said the CDC supporters attacked a transit center for UN Volunteers in Congo Town but fortunately no one got injured.

The IPS Commissioner stressed that this act was repeated around twelve mid-night up to 6:30 yesterday morning.

Mr. Al-Hassan pointed out that the UN Mission in Liberia has the capacity and the manpower to deal with any situation intended to disrupt the peace process.

“At the end of it all, we were able to arrest many persons and the matter is now being investigated for the appropriate actions.

Mr. Al-Hassan said it was very unfortunate as Liberia is a state governed by the Rule of Law for Mr. George Weah to make some threatening comments while addressing his partisans.

He added that any Liberian who will like to take the law into his or her hands would be held accountable both nationally and internationally.

He noted that UNMIL is in Liberia to ensure the law and order so that the peace will be guaranteed for all Liberians.

“But we were disappointed because some individuals want to destroy what we've spent years in achieving,” he continued.

“UNMIL will ensure that no body for that matter who takes the law into his or her hand” in Liberia will go with impunity.