Touchdown Monrovia

I've learned about the civil war long before having set foot in the West African nation of Liberia, which has plagued the nation for 14 dreadful years. I still remember the VHS video tape which my dad bought off from a street peddler back in my Togo days, some 20-or-so years ago. The tape was a pirated copy of a documentary titled "1989 Civil War in Liberia" featuring then-rebel leader Prince Johnson cutting the ear off the former Head of State, Samuel Doe, and later torturing him to death.



I can still remember how at first I thought it was just another action-war movie my father got from the video rental store on the way back from his office. How naive I was back then. The images depicted in the documentary stuck with me after all these years, and that my impression of the country since then has been anything but negative, a country ran by evil warlords and teenage John Rambo wannabes clinching AK-47s.


That impression changed on October 25, 2011.



The town of Monrovia is now a bustling city filled with vibrant economic activities. I have come across rows of small- to mid-scaled shops, supermarkets and restaurants run by Indian, Chinese and Lebanese immigrants. And the electronic stores surrounding Carey Street sell an array of today's popular gadgets ranging from iPod to smartphones. New hotels are also springing up, and the ones that are damaged during the war are also undergoing repair. The only noticeable difference one would differenciate Monrovia from that of a normal, socially-stable city is the UNMIL peacekeepers, which can be seen pretty much on every corner of the street. And with the ongoing Presidential election being held in the months of October and November, UNMIL is increasing the number of patrols and security posts throughout the city network.


So far I've not sensed an air of uncertainty or fear amongst the Liberians I came across, with each one of them voicing their support for Ma Ellen, as the locals will call her, the current Head of State, Ellen Sirleaf, and currently also a holder of this year's Nobel Peace Award. I wish nothing but the best for the proud people of Liberia, may peace dawn on the nation for many years to come.

                                        The Temple of Justice, downtown Monrovia