Jerue Complains Liberian Govt to U.S. Government

Gibson W. Jerue

President, Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas

North Dakota Chapter

4701 17th Ave SW, Apt 306

Fargo, ND 58103

June 20, 2012

Hillary Rodham Clinton

United States of America, Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

Dear Madame:

My name is Gibson W. Jerue. I am the President of the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas, North Dakota Chapter. I am also Liberian journalist and author, residing in Fargo, North Dakota. I hailed from Grand Gedeh County, but had spent most of life in Monrovia since 1972, before coming to the United States.

I write with tears in my eyes for my country in general, and the people of Grand Gedeh in particular. As I write this letter, scores of security forces dispatched to Grand Gedeh are making hell of the lives our people. They are victimizing innocent civilians, arbitrarily arresting and detaining, mercilessly beating and/or flogging young and older men, harassing and intimidating the residents of Zwedru, the Capital City of Grand Gedeh, and other towns and villages in and around the border line that separate Liberia and Ivory Coast. Grand Gedeh is bleeding again for no reason, other than somebody believe the people of Grand Gedeh might be connected to the alleged shooting and killing of some United Nations troops and some Ivorian security personnel. Liberian security forces are usually uncouth, untrained, zealous, arbitrary, draconian in their action, and disrespectful of the rule of law. Please refer to the US State Department country report on Liberia 2011.

The situation in Grand Gedeh County was provoked by a list of ten individuals, two Ivorians and eight Liberians, all members of the Krahn ethnic group, accused of being involved with the shooting in la Cote d’Ivoire. Without further investigating the list, the Sirleaf Administration declared MOST WANTED the eight Grand Gedeans. Within hours, two of those on the most wanted list appeared at the Information Ministry in Monrovia and demanded explanation of how they were involved with the trouble in neighboring la Cote d’Ivoire. The Information Minister, Lewis Brown, a protégé and trained political combatant of the tyrant, now imprisoned Charles Taylor, had nothing to explain but to declare them not wanted. Another Grand Gedean, Amos Chayee, who was preparing to repatriate back to Liberia was also on the most wanted list. As we speak, Mr. Chayee is currently at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Central Accra, Ghana running his shop to survive. He had sent his wife to Monrovia on the same repatriation program. He alleged his wife and kids are being harassed by security forces. Others who are on the most wanted list are still in Monrovia, said to have nothing to do the Ivorian shooting.

Madam Secretary, no Grand Gedean will harbor war makers and mongers. As a matter of facts, our people are tired with war, and they want to have their lives back. As such they have always advised their children to refrain from violence. We are also committed to peaceful resolution of differences, having learned a bitter lesson for the 14-year madness that claimed 250,000 of our country’s population. We believe had the government liaised with our people, they would have achieved much to help them hunt out the trouble makers. But sadly, innocent people are the ones being victimized. This is troubling and humiliating, to say the least.

I firmly believe this is witch-hunt. I have recently written and published on social media, specifically on Facebook forums, ten reasons why President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is witch-hunting Grand Gedeans. The series of articles are hereby attached for your perusal.

In view of the foregoing, and other circumstances that may break down law and order in our country, I am appealing to the United States Government, through your offices, to launch an investigation in the situation. If you don’t act, the people of Grand Gedeh may face enormous devastation and death much worse than what they experience during the wars. This act by the Sirleaf Administration is condemnable, and we cannot allow her to slip Liberia back into chaos.  We need our life in a serene and civilized society where our children can grow up in a tranquil society.

Thanking you for your attention, I remain.

Yours Truly,

Gibson W. Jerue

President

Phone: 612-607-9281

Email: mongboe2002@yahoo.com