Rising political tension in Liberia amid violent street protest have claimed concerns by the United States Embassy in Monrovia and the ECOWAS mission in this post-war West African state, with both condemning Tuesday’s bloody street protest in the Liberian capital.
The Tuesday, December 17, 2024 street protest by citizens calling on the government to respect the rule of law saw clashes between the national police and protesters, with an exchange of teargas and stones, leaving a number of people wounded. Less than a day later, a mysterious fire engulfed the joint chambers of the seat of the Legislature, the Capitol Building. But the cause of the fire is yet unknown.
Nearly a dozen people were arrested, detained and charged by police for rioting and other crimes, including former President George Manneh Weah’s aide, Senkou Kalassco.
In a brief statement published on its Facebook page, the Americans said:
“The U.S. Embassy condemns yesterday’s violence on Capitol Hill. Citizens have a right to express their views peacefully, and violence is never the answer. Political differences should be resolved through an open political process. We call on all parties to remain calm and resolve the impasse on Capitol Hill so that the Legislature can return to work on behalf of all Liberians.”
At the same time, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also expressed concern about the rising violence and political tension in the country.
ECOWWAS Representative to Liberia, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, condemned the violent protest and called on both the police and citizens to exercise restraint.
“ECOWAS calls on all Liberian protesters and the Liberia National Police to exercise restraint in the pursuit of their rights and mandate respectively,” the ECOWAS envoy said in a statement on Wednesday.
“ECOWAS further calls on the security agencies to swiftly investigate the cause of the fire at the Capitol Building and make public the findings of its investigation,” adding. “ECOWAS calls on all to adhere to the rule of law and the tenets of democracy in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia,” the statement added.