by Briona Baker
“When they attacked where I was living at the time, during the restless night, you could hear the rebels running…and they were shooting at each other and they hit the building that I was living in. Some of the boys that were fighting were my students and I escaped overnight with their help. You could hear the vibrations of the gun fire and whenever I hear loud sounds it takes my mind back to the war,” according to Retired teacher and Survivor of the Liberian War, Rose Zoegar.
Former Liberian and Convicted war criminal, Charles Taylor, had originally allied with Former Warlord, Prince Yormie Johnson as part of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). The Liberian War began when Charles Taylor and his rebels had crossed the border from the Ivory Coast to begin operations in Liberia. The purpose of Charles Taylor rebellion was to dethrone Samuel Doe from power in Liberia. Prince Yormie Johnson had then separated from the NPFL due to a disagreement of power and had formed another rebel group called the Independent Patriotic Front of Liberia (IPFL). Taylor and Johnson had turned on each other, which eventually lead to a seven year long Civil war in Liberia. Johnson and his rebels had seized, tortured and executed Samuel Doe in front of live video cameras. The corruption of Samuel Doe’s administration caused more havoc then it did peace.
“The war started in 1989 and it displaced me and it made me lose my job and my six bedroom home and it was either you leave your job and your property or you stay and get killed. I was also employed as the head of the science department at the international school” said Rose.
About 250,000 Liberians were killed during the First Liberian War. Another 1.5 million Liberians were forced to leave their homes in order to escape the fighting. Half of Liberia’s population was displaced. “I left my hometown in January 1990. I went to the Ivory Coast as a refugee and I was at a refugee camp from 1990-1995. I headed to the United States after the camp,” says Rose
The years of conflict had demolished Liberia’s economy, infrastructure, and many of the citizens homes. “The buildings that the rebels destroyed, people are trying to build up the buildings to pick back up their life…..they’re suffering from hardship so now they’re surviving,” said Rose.
A once peaceful and quiet nation was brought down by a decade of dreadful civil war. Due to the destruction of the war it will take a long time for the country to get back to its original state.
Mustang Inquirer 