The Rural Human Rights Activists Programme (RHRAP) through its Executive Director, Lorma Baysah, in its strongest terms has condemned the violent action in Voinjama and called on the Government of Liberia (GOL) and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to immediately conduct speedy investigation and bring the alleged perpetrators to justice. The group also want allegation by prominent Lofa citizens that UNMIL contingent assigned in Voinjama only protected mosques and left other religious buildings volatile to be investigated. (RHRAP) says ethnicity and Religious intolerance are critical issues affecting the restoration of human rights and genuine democratic system in Liberia. The rights group said the reported incident in Lofa County is a threatening issue that has the propensity to plunge this country once more into violent conflict if peaceful resolution mechanisms are not put into place to arrest the situation. 

According to a press statement issued in Monrovia yesterday in response to the Lofa crisis, the rights group said although past and present leaderships of the country continue to deny the truth that both ethnic and religious conflict exists in Liberia, but there is no doubt that ethno political ideology was and is being promoted by politicians and intellectuals in the quest to accomplish their personal interest at the expense of the poor who are the grass rooters.“If one can recall in the history of this Republic, there are several incidents that have occurred during and after the bloody civil crises that clearly serve as indicators of the existence of ethnicity and religious conflicts which have to some extent served as stumbling block to the proper functions of democratic systems in Liberia. It is a fact in Liberia that some political parties are organized based on ethnic backgrounds as we Liberians continue to witness this. Even at present, there are family and ethnic hegemony movements taking roots in some political parties,” the group said.

RHRAP said besides the burning down of religious institutions during the civil crisis, there were massacres, extra judicial killings, summary executions, gang rapes, etc perpetrated based on identity, something which many Liberians can attest to.   “In 2003, Liberians can attest that churches and mosques were burnt in Monrovia. Again, recently, churches and mosques were burnt down and several killed and wounded as reported. But to date many including the President and the Vice President say the conflict has no religious dimension,” RHRAP said.  The group then called on Liberians to retrospect on some of these threatening issues, so that they can find lasting solution before it gets too late. “We should not be washed away by some politicians and intellectuals, for they are fundamental promoters of ethno political ideology in this country,” the group statement noted.

“Based on earlier warning system for the past 10 years, the Rural Human Rights Activists Program (RHRAP) has been working on combating ethnic and tribal discrimination and religious intolerance in some rural towns and villages of Lofa, Bong, Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties through series of education/awareness activities intended to curtail if not abolish ethnic and religious discrimination in the country. If peace and stability is to be restored in Liberia where human rights and democratic principles will flourish, Ethno Political Ideology that fuel ethnic conflict must be curtailed and reconciliatory programs must be encouraged and supported at all levels using various approaches to deal with this deadly issue,” the group said.