Athens, OU had role in ending Liberia's civil war

(Originally published in the Athens Messenger)

By Marcus Dahn

In August four years ago, I participated in the formation of an interim government for Liberia in the West African nation of Gambia when it appeared the brutal regime of Samuel Doe was about to be toppled.

Now, as a Liberian and a product of Ohio University and the Athens community, I am proud to say that peace and a cease-fire are permanently in place in Liberia. Some of the criteria designed to bring about this cease-fire, which would lead to disarmament of all warring nations, were developed right here at Ohio University.

After the successful trip to Gambia in August 1990, I headed a Liberian Concerned Citizens' Committee, which presented a three-page detailed political and economic report to President Clinton on Jan. 29, 1993. It included seven recommendations to help bring the Liberian civil war to an end. Letters and telephone communications with Ohio's former governor, Richard Celeste, and with the Jimmy Carter Peace Center in Atlanta, the White House, State Department and Capitol Hill individuals such as Sens. John Glenn, Howard Metzenbaum, Ted Kennedy, Paul Simon and others, produced unprecedented results: Clinton appointed Gordon Summers to work with the United Nations to bring the Liberian war to an immediate end. (Three of the seven suggestions which were incorporated into the White House and State Department’s plans had been put together at Ohio University.)

A more vigorous role is now being played by the Clinton administration. President Clinton’s personal involvement is the catalyst which provides constant contact between my committee and State Department officials responsible for Liberia.

As of March 7, 1994, soldiers are stationed in the major towns to keep the peace. Besides the 12,000 West African peace-keeping group ECOMOG which has been in Liberia since September 1990, more than 10,000 troops are now there from Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Others are expected from Algeria, Morocco and other African countries. The troops will remain in the country until general elections are held in about September 2004. They will also help establish a small Liberian Armed Forces and security apparatus.

The small West African nation of Liberia dates back to 1818. The name Liberia was coined on July 26, 1847, when the Grain Coast became independent and was recognized by Belgium, France, Germany and Britain. Interestingly, the United States, which had "founded" and established the colony, did not recognize Liberia's independence until 1862.

Apart from the above historical relationships, Liberia has been, and is very important to the U.S. economy. For over 30 years Republic, Bethlehem and U.S. Steel Corporations mined Africa's richest iron ore in northern Liberia. Since Mount Nimba was rich in diamond and gold deposits, these companies also profited from extracting these resources. The United States also profited from Liberia’s mahogany and other timber.

Liberia's capital, Monrovia, named in honor of President Monroe, houses the largest U.S. intelligence network in Africa south of the Sahara and was home to nearly 7,000 Americans before the civil war. Ohio has benefited from relationships with Liberia, including the industrial connections with Firestone in Akron and Republic Steel in Cleveland. Many educated Liberians received their schooling at Ohio colleges and universities.

Likewise, Liberia is very important to Athens and Ohio University. Edwin James Roy, who attended OU, became Liberia's fifth president in 1870. James Templeton who is believed to be OU's first black graduate (1878) and the third in the nation, wrote and defended his thesis on "The Claims of Liberia."

Some of Liberia's educated elite who graduated from Ohio University include Varsay Sirleaf (zoology; received his MD at the University of Paris), G. Henry Andrews (journalism), Clarence Parker (finance), Robert Nah-Tipoteh (history and economics), J. Randolph (government) and many others. All have contributed to Ohio University and the Athens community.

Bosnia, Russia, the Middle East and Somalia have consistently dominated the issues the U.S. media cares about. Although the Liberian civil war killed more than 80,000 people and displaced 800,000 (U.N. and International Red Cross estimates) into African countries, Europe and the United States (120,000 in the U.S. alone), very few news outlets in this country have chosen to mention it. Funny, how it all soon "comes to pass."

The Athens group Concerned Citizens of Liberia, in seeking to resolve the Liberian conflict, acknowledges help from the Ohio University News Bureau, which arranged interviews with Monitor Radio and the Christian Science Monitor; local newspapers including The Athens Messenger, the News, The Post and the Columbus Dispatch for articles and interviews; and the pastor and congregation of Christ Lutheran Church, which consistently prayed, collected money, clothing and medical supplies for the suffering people of Liberia.

It is also appropriate to mention the concerns expressed by my professors in the political science and history departments and the School of Applied Behavioral Sciences and Educational Leadership, and the Dean of Students' office which supported the committee's quest to find acceptable solutions to the Liberian conflict. I thank all Liberia’s friends mentioned above for sticking with my country and my people. You taught us that "you never fail until you stop trying."

Posted 5-19-06