Former Liberia's President Samuel Kanyon Doe is gone but his deeds, whether good or bad still live on. Since his demise in September 1990, Liberians are managing to cope with the aftereffects of his administrative character.
Though many people don't outrightly rule him out for the many contributions he made in Liberia given his limitations in statecraft, some of those who shared the corridors of power with him are now cast long shadows on the rule of SKD - phenomenon that they term as the misdeeds of Doe.
One person who was opportune to witness the alleged “Doe’s misdeeds” has been explaining his shock and stress to the TRC.
Witness Rancy J. Borkay told TRC Commissioners and administrators of the transitional justice mechanism that his cousin, a former patrolman in the Liberia National Police (LNP), was brutally murdered with the alleged acquiescence of the former army officer.
The Analyst looks at the statement cued from the TRC Public Hearing.
At the TRC Public Hearings in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, a witness explained how his cousin was sent to his early graves in Tuzon, Grand Gedeh County apparently with the knowledge and approbation of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe.
Doe, the first original native President of Liberia who took power in 1980 after a bloody coup, hailed from Tuzon in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
Rancy J. Borkay, the sixth witness to take stand during the Hearing explained that before the elections of 1985, they (he and his kinsmen) were given an opportunity to organize political party.
Having reached a consensus, he said one of the elders, Amb. Peter Johnson, who hailed from his area defected and took a different turn in the political stand. By this, he said Johnson pledged his support to the Liberia Action Party (LAP) of the late Jackson F. Doe instead of the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL), the party of the then president.
“He became the first campaign manager of LAP. That became an offense to the regime of Samuel Doe and there was elimination against his family and himself,” witness Borkay recalled.
He said during the aborted coup by Quiwonkpa, Johnson was arrested while hundreds of Doe’s soldiers move in their area, not too far from Tuzon, the home of President Doe.
When the soldiers got in the area, he claimed they brutally handled the people, and that some of parents escaped to the Ivory Coast while some eventually died in the process of their (soldiers) occupation during that time. Witness Borkay told the TRC that following the foiled coup, President Doe returned to Zwedru and called a town meeting.
In Tuzon, the venue of the meeting, he said was a first cousin of his, Washington Wolo a patrol man at the time. “My cousin was asked to serve duty that night though that was not his time to serve the guard.
The motive behind it was that the first Land and Mines Minister under Doe regime died and according to the people of Tuzon, it was customary that when ever great man died they have to carry someone with him but that person has to be alive.
So they buried the patrol man Washington Wolo in the grave near the coffin of Willie Nebo. This thing caused problem and we tried to get the actual story from the then president Doe but it proved futile,” Witness Borkay told the TRC hearing.
Apparently due to the rather puzzling manner in which Wolo lost his life, he said the people of Tuzon owed them (people of Zleh Town) an apology “for burying our brother with Willie Nebo”.
According to him, they have serious problem with the people of Tuzon and that until they can apologize for whatever happened at the time, they will never forgive their brothers and sisters from Tuzon, adding “We hope they will come to tell us what happened actually”.
The Doe regime was marred by human rights abuses, especially after the 1985 foiled coup. Most Liberians were killed while others fled the country surreptitiously to eschew being killed by loyalists of the former President.
Giving the revelation from a citizen of Grand Gedeh County, the home of the president, that someone from the county was buried alive, observers say there is likelihood that citizens from other counties suffered most.
According to them, such is one of the many misdeeds of the Doe era which they claimed led to the outbreak of the war which left the country decimated.
Excerpts from his testimony
Chairman: we appreciate you coming to the commission to share this experience with us. apart from us looking into past atrocities and the crimes committed during the war, the TRC is also interested in sources of potential conflict, issues that would cause potential conflict in the future so that we can find immediate solution to it and so thank you for elaborating that the people of Zleh town are today not in peace with the people of Tuzon because of what happened and I am confident that by you coming, it means that your people want to find their way out of this and want the situation be resolved, so thank you.
Chairman: what is the name of the police office that was killed?
Primary Witness: Washington Wolo
Was he a citizen of Zleh town?
Primary Witness: Yes few kilometer.
What year did this happened?
Primary Witness: 1985
Commissioner Stewart: what month this incident happen?
Primary Witness: 1985 December to January 1986
Who was the officer in charge on the night when patrol man Wolo was on guard?
Primary Witness: We did not know the details we only know that he was asked to serve and the next day we did not see him again and we have not seen him since.
Do you know where they buried him?
Primary Witness: It was a crime by then to ask where the burial site is, you can’t try it. But we received reliable information that he was buried in the grave with Willie Nebo
Can you clarify a little bit the incident leading to his death?
Primary Witness: I think it had some political motivation,
Since that happened, did any of the family member bring that up with the Doe government or subsequent government?
Primary Witness: No. for some of us no, but for Doe government time none of us could try it.
How are you certain that this happened the way you think?
Primary Witness: We had some of our people in the mansion too and they knew about it but could not say it.
Commissioner Dolopei: do you know some of the people that were involved?
Primary Witness: Most of those that were executing these kinds of things were the top confidants of the president like Edward Slanger and others.
Were some of these confidants in your town when torturing of your people was going on?
Primary Witness: Yes, one person I can remember on the ground was Thomas Gbamga he was on the grounds in the area when these things were going on.
Did any other person died in that incident when the soldiers raided your town after the 85 elections?
Primary Witness: Not instantly but few months later old man Gaye and old man Geeblee died later as the result of the beating and torturing from internal bleeding.
Commissioner Coleman: is there any person that you can remember in that incident?
Primary Witness: Thomas Gbamga, I say I can remember he was there.
What was the situation regarding Mr. Slanga, and Blayee would you elaborate a little further?
Primary Witness: These men were confidants of Samuel Doe, they were very close to Doe. Edward N. Slanger was special Aide to Doe, he and Col. Arthur Jolokarh, 4th Battalion Commander of Grand Gedeh County and one Blaye plus other plain clothes securities were there and tortured and killed our people. it was impossible for those kinds of things to go on if they don’t know about it. For Blaye now he is in exile right now.
Who was Willie Nebo?
Primary Witness: Mr. Nebo was a distant cousin of Doe, and was the first Minister of Land Mines and Energy under Doe’s government. when he died they said there was a custom that he should be buried with someone alive and that’s how they buried patrol man Washington Wolo alive with the coffin of Nebo.
Was his death a natural death, Willie Nebo?
Primary Witness: I didn’t care to know.
Do you have any other experience with LPC or MODEL?
Primary Witness: The only one that went really down to my heart was the one I just explained to you.
Commissioner Syllah: did Washington Wolo leave any family behind?
Primary Witness: Yes
How have life been for them since their father died?
Primary Witness: Very difficult for them, more than you can imagine.
Commissioner Konneh: Mr. Witness I don’t have a question but a comment for you. You brought this issue up for all of us to get the clear picture of what happen to your kinsman Patrolman Washington Wolo and other members of your town. And we can see that you are interested in resolving these matters, so if any one who knows any thing about this matter should please come to the commission whether in camera or public to give us some insight of this story. We want to call on the people of Tuzon and general the Krahn ethnic group that is here to take this massage to our people in Tuzon so that we can sit down and see how to settle these kinds of problem, this is what our act provides that we should provide forum between a perpetrator and a victim. This fellow has come for us to see into this matter he said no one has ever gone to them to apologize for what happened to his people we appreciate it.
Commissioner Stewart: How do you think the TRC can facilitate peace between your?
Primary Witness: To make the people of Tuzon to know that somebody is feeling bitter about that happened to us but, if it is not done it would not go down fine with us.
Chairman: Besides Washington Wolo, has there being any other cases of living persons being buried?
Primary Witness: That what they say if great people died someone must be buried with that dead person. It is their custom
Are you related to Washington Wolo?
Primary Witness: Yes, we were first cousins.
How did the family receive the news?
Primary Witness: Everyone was in fear, I can tell you he was the only dictatorial leader that I have seen in my life, for the 10 years he was the president after that coup, Doe, he only passed through our town one time to come to Zwedru. He was flying throughout to Tuzon and our district is the first district into Grand Gedeh but he never bothered to visit us. After the patrolman disappearance after three days his family could not see him, we check all over for him he could not be accounted for.
What were you doing by then?
Primary Witness: I was in the 12 grade.
We would need your contact address so your town people can contact us through you:
Primary Witness: you can use the statement form to get our contact it has not changed. |
