Editorial: The Right Of Liberians To Live And Work In Any Part Of Liberia Without Intimidation Or Fear

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 a series of protests by citizens of Cape Mount, one of the concession areas of BMMC, pressing for the dismissal of Debar W. Allen, Country Manager of Bea Mountain Mining Company, for the company’s alleged failure to live up to its mineral development agreement and other concerns. However, this call has led to a sharp response from the Movement of Bassa Youth and Students, which has termed the call by some citizens of Grand Cape Mount County as injustice, witch-hunt, tribal division and endangers the peace of Liberia—if care is not taken. Debar W. Allen is a son of Grand Bassa County.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀 youth and student group maintained that the call violates Article 18 of the 1986 Constitution and Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1, 2, 3, and 4, calling on individual Grand Cape Mountainians involved to desist or face resistance in defense of their kinsman.

“𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐋𝐀𝐖 is straightforward on the right of Liberians to live and work in any part of Liberia without intimidation or fear for their lives. Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, 1., everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work, and protection against unemployment; 2., Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal jobs for equal pay. Etc.,” the rights group observed.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 that two years ago it was a son of Nimba County, Jackson Soumie-you, and today it is a Bassa man who has been discriminatorily targeted in Grand Cape Mount, adding that tomorrow it might be a Gio man, Kissi man, Kpelleh man, or a Kru man targeted in Grand Cape County—if they fold their hands and allow this to breed in the society. “We must all now stand together against injustice, tribalism and witch-hunts or we get prepared for the new wave of disunity and conflicts engineered by selfish elements parading as lawmakers of Grand Cape Mount,” the group indicated.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐃 that it is unacceptable for anyone to be targeted in his own country of birth simply because of ethnicity, adding that such behavior goes against the values of inclusivity, diversity and respect for all individuals, regardless of their background.

“𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 more appalling is that the Government of Liberia (GOL), specifically the ministers of Justice, Labor, agencies that are clothed with the authority to protect these specific rights of Mr. Allen, appear to be promoting such injustice in the name of ‘restoring calm’. What travesty,” the group averred.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 then threatened that the citizens of Bassa will hunt down every citizen of Cape Mount holding top managerial positions in the Bassa region, to be precise, Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC), Equatorial Palm Oil (EPO), NPA Bassa Branch, Forest Ventures, ArcelorMittal Liberia, and others.