Op-ed 

The Great Country Congau Divide

The Editor,

For generations, the “country” and “congua” people have lived side by side, drank Club Beer together, and intermarry — but yet demagogues like Senator Prince Y. Johnson (PYJ) continue to whip up ethnic polarization between the two groups for political reasons! By the way, all PYJ’s ex-girlfriends were light skinned congua girls from LU!

Senator Johnson, who’s a presidential candidate says that “they (congua) are always taking country boys to be vice presidents” (Re “Congau vs Country: The Great Liberian Divide”) Such statement would be laughable if PYJ weren’t a serious candidate, but he came in third in the last presidential election, and he’s currently being wooed by the All Liberian Party (ALP.

Poisoning the presidential race with talk of “always taking country boys to be VP” might get votes for Senator Johnson , but it could also be the beginning to another civil war, if he becomes the next president!  Why? Because Senator Johnson is not a uniter, he’s a divider like Samuel Kanyon Doe!

On April 12 1980, claiming that the “country people” had been politically marginalized by the Congua people for more than 133 years, Kanyon Doe and his bunch of illiterate thugs staged a military coup, killed our elected president and established a military regime. But we all know what happened after that:  Our country descended into an outright civil war, in which 250,000 Liberians lost their lives. My younger brother, Finnbarr, was left to die like dog on the streets of Monrovia!  Yes. Kanyon Doe and his “country people” brought more misery and mayhem to the masses than the 133 years of those “congau people”!  Also, this ethnic devide have seen other countries around the world torn apart by similar ethnic polarization: From the riots in India–Hindus vs Muslims, to the civil war in Sri Lanka, to the mass slaughter of the Tutsis by the Hutus in Rwanda—- are some of the recent history of havoc left by ethnic polarization.

And it’s a history that we must NEVER repeat in our country. Because it was a history written in blood!  250,000 Liberians lost their lives!

May their souls rest in peace!

Martin Scott,

Atlanta, Georgia

 

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