Home Governance “State Sponsored Terrorism” …Gongloe Slams Attack Against SUP Protestors

“State Sponsored Terrorism” …Gongloe Slams Attack Against SUP Protestors

by News Manager

MONROVIA: One of Liberia’s Presidential Hopefuls, and popular human rights lawyer, Tiawon Saye Gongloe, has characterized as “state sponsored terrorism,” recent attack against members of the University of Liberia (UL), campus-based Students Unification Party (SUP) on July 26, 2022, in Monrovia.

Gongloe therefore calls on President George Manneh Weah to stop leading Liberia towards what he calls “another path of anarchy.”

He said Liberians do not want to be reminded of the ugly past as it relates to the use of forces such as the “NDPL Task Force of the 1980s and the SOD and ATU of the Taylor era.”

The human rights lawyer who is currently touring the United States of America (USA), pointed out that neither do Liberians want to live under a government created atmosphere of fear and intimidation as it was similarly experienced through the brute force of the Tonton Macoute of Haiti, under the rule of General Duvalier, Papa Doc.

“As a former Acting Chairman of the Students Unification Party (1981) and a past victim of state sponsored brutality, I cannot sit by idly, and allow the gallant men and women of the Vanguard Student Unification Party, to be victims of state sponsored terrorism,” he noted.

His statements were contained in a speech he delivered in the United States of America in response to the July 26, 2022, street violence in Monrovia which witnessed the brutalization of peaceful protestors of the Students Unification Party (SUP) of the state-owned University of Liberia.

Gongloe reiterated that upon his return from the United States of America to Liberia, he will institute the appropriate legal action to hold accountable all those responsible for “this mindless display of such a devilish force” against the peaceful and law-abiding students of the University of Liberia.

He also calls on President George Weah, not only to condemn “this act of savagery, but to take the appropriate steps to bring to justice those responsible for the crimes committed against these peaceful citizens.”

According to him, “President Weah has no other choice in this matter, because the first and most important function of any government is to protect its citizens.”

“The high frequency of unexplained deaths and government’s declining ability to maintain law and order undermines public trust in the ability of the Government of Liberia to sustain the peace and create an enabling environment for free political activities, progress in the reconstruction of Liberia and the economic development of Liberia,” he intoned.

Gongloe: “We call on President George Weah to stop the continuing erosion of the gains the Liberia people have made in sustaining the peace and building a democratic society.”

While challenging Liberians, irrespective of their political differences to speak with one voice in condemning the violence committed against members of the Students Unification Party on the 175th Anniversary of the Independence of Liberia, he stressed that the display of naked brutality was a desecration of the July 26, 2022 National Independence Day which is the number one holiday of Liberia.

” In the words of our national anthem, In Union Strong, Success is sure. We cannot fail,” he added.

The presidential aspirant lamented that sadly, under the Weah-led CDC government, the lack of respect for the rule of law and human rights is fast turning Liberia, a constitutional democracy, into a fascist state, as evidenced by the current lawlessness in the country.

He stressed that the only crime committed by student Christopher Walter Sisulu Sivili of SUP, who was subjected to extreme brutality by a “collective deadly force of the evil forces of the government backed CDC-COP was to peacefully assemble around the vicinity of the Embassy of the United States to show to the world that there was no reason for Liberians to celebrate the 175th Independence Day of Liberia.”

“There cannot be any common sense reason for the extremely cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of these patriotic and nationalistic sons and daughters of our beloved motherland,” he noted.

The former President of the Liberia National Bar Association, an umbrella group of Liberian lawyers, emphasized that the students were attacked while they were exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and speech.

He used the occasion to condemn, deprecate and denounce, in no uncertain terms, the unprovoked attack on members of the Students Unification Party (SUP) by pro-government militia force.

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