Transcript CNN International interview with Nigeria's President Obasanjo and USAfricaonline.com Publisher Chido Nwangwu on Democracy and Security Issues

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Liberia's bloody mess and hopes of a battered nation

Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com, and The Black Business Journal

The bloody mess and orgy of slaughter in the once beautiful Liberia, practically America's only colonial territory in Africa and home to millions of freed slaves from the U.S, have shifted to a relatively better option. On July 4, 2003, the man in the eye of the storm, embattled President Charles Taylor, agreed to leave only when international peace keepers are well-entrenched in the country he ruined.

Here are a few points to underscore:

First, Taylor's desire to stay in power has fuelled much of the crises. He had insisted he will serve until January 2004. It would have been foolhardy and unrealistic since he had lost control of most geographic and civic territories of Liberia.

Second, and worthy of note is that Taylor had merely a sliver of moral credibility locally, regionally and international. His diamond deals made him enemies not true friends.

Third, African-Americans are incensed that the only country in Africa where, officially, their enslaved great-grandparents were shipped back to the "motherland" have received less than priority or significant humanitarian attention until Bush had less than 4 days to travel to Africa. Bush on July 2, 2003 indicated his intentions to send American troops to Liberia for monitoring truce and peace-keeping. Recall that it was the American Colonization Society (ACS) that was organized in 1817 to resettle free black Americans in West Africa. Some were known as "Americo-Liberians." Research students will recall that John H. B. Latrobe, president of the American Colonization Society, made a significant speech at the anniversary meeting of the American Colonization Society held in the Smithsonian Institute, on January 18, 1859.

Fourth, the informed opinion of key African-Americans and continental Africans show displeasure that only a few days before his second week of July 2003 trip to parts of the African continent, U.S. President George W. Bush cast his policy interest to Liberia, although belated - after almost 850,000 have been killed in recent ethnic, diamonds-control and militia fights.

Yet, I agree with President Bush that "All the parties in Liberia must pursue a comprehensive peace agreement." At the end of the day, I believe that Liberian leaders must be held accountable for their violent greed and butchering of the the once glorious country. Liberian citizens who have joined various factions to chop off the legs of little kids and raped teenagers and burned down villages have some responsibility, too.

A major consequence of the war is that Liberians have since been scattered all over west Africa and in many cities here in the U.S. Their best brains are on exile! People like Informational technologist Eric Peabody and writer Tarty Teh. Eric's wife, Elaine, has been a member of the editorial board of USAfrica for almost 7 years.

Although I am a Nigerian by birth, I've been involved through professional/media and personal efforts to be a part of the solution of the crises. Those efforts made the Liberian community in Houston 1995 to make me "an honorary Liberian citizen."

Since then, I've since looked forward to the day I'll set foot on Liberia. It's been a wish similar to ropping the wind....

While Liberia burned....
Exclusive USAfricaonline.com commentary

The way in which the United States have treated the people of Liberia is simply a low down dirty crying shame. We have sit back and watch as Monrovia has literally burned - and that almost in total silence and blindness. Even while the pleas of the UN and the rest of West Africa and more importantly the Liberian people themselves begged like dogs for the crumbs that fall from a master's table. We waited and waited.  Only now on the eve of a presidential trip to Africa do President Bush shows a reluctant "compassion" or more properly should I say guilt. How could America be so cold, callous, insolent and heartless of one of the few places it colonized? Full commentary here. By Dr. Rufus G.W. Sanders, USAfricaonline.com and The Newspaper contributing editor, is a Suffragan Bishop in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the world based in Sandusky, Ohio.

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