The Deputy Commissioner General for Naturalization, Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Atty. Assatu Bah-Kenneth, has warned Liberians and residents against using disadvantaged youth, also called “zogoes”, to cause violence in the communities.
The Deputy LIS Chief said she observed that the very people who shame and accuse “zogoes” of stealing and hijacking in the communities are the people asking them for their assistance to cause disturbances in the society.
“I see us going back to our dark past because we have our less fortunate children in the streets and we point to them as our giants when we want to use them. We are using them now to cause violence and kill people in the country,” Atty. Bah-Kenneth said.
She said if the citizens fail to join hands to put the situation of “zogoes” under control, their hugely growing number could be the next crisis that the country will face, and could likely return the country to its ugly past. She stated that if the situation of disadvantaged youth cannot put into place then Liberia’s crisis will continue.
However, she urged the youth not to allow themselves to be used as killers and cause violence in the country. According to her, state security have the responsibility of guiding and protecting them in society. She disclosed that most of the disadvantage youths belong to a family.
The LIS Deputy Boss spoke on Friday, June 10, 2023, at a mediation dialogue that brought together over 100 women from 20 communities across Montserrado and Bong counties, some of whom are women chiefs, community chairladies from political parties, but most of them women who had contested, and still wants to contest, for political offices in the upcoming general elections.
The project, titled, “Sustainable and Inclusive Peace in Liberia through Promoting Women’s Leadership and Participation in Civic and Political Life and their Strengthened role in Conflict Resolution”, is being implemented by the Angie Brook’s International Center under the flagship program of the Women’s Situation Room (WSR), initiated by Angie Brook International Center (ABIC), in partnership with ZOA Liberia with finding from the United Nations Peace-building Fund.
The program also focuses on how political parties respond to violence against women in elections and perspectives from women leaders in election under the law.