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An Open Letter to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
By: Bangalee Trawally
March 01, 2010

Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
President of the Republic of Liberia
Monrovia, Liberia
March 01, 2010

Dear Madam President:

I have the honor of writing to you to express my concern about the seriousness of the land dispute in Ganta, Nimba County, which developed as a result of Liberia’s civil war. This issue has the potential of compromising your administration’s drive for peace, justice, and good governance. This is especially true in view of the lack of meaningful progress on the part of your administration toward protecting the rights of the Mandingo people, who are the victims in an illegal and unacceptable appropriation of lands and houses by people who have no legal claims to them whatsoever. It is imperative that those properties be returned to their rightful owners.

Rights, be they human rights or property rights, are fundamental norms and principles that must be guaranteed to every citizens in any civilized society. Hence, the absence of property rights in a given society not only hinders genuine development but also undermines the very character and nature of its system of governance. It is the cardinal responsibility of a democratic government to dispense justice in an impartial manner to all of its citizens. The realization of good governance signifies government’s accountability to its people, which ultimately inspires people’s trust.

A peace achieved must be preserved and sustained. Liberia’s experience with war has taught us that continuous efforts by government and citizens alike are required to cement equity in all of our endeavors. Resolving the Ganta land dispute must claim the immediate attention of your administration in order to prevent an unfortunate situation in which the victims would conclude that no one is concerned about their plight. The frustration of the affected people of that city is climbing to the zenith. I and other concerned citizens of Liberia (both those currently living in Liberia and those in the Diaspora—even the international community) do not want the country to degenerate into a situation in which the hard earned peace that exists is not maintained.

Therefore, Madam President, I want you to also consider this communication as a follow-up question to one I asked you previously. Last year, when you visited the US and met with the Liberian community in Minnesota, I asked you about your position on the Mandingoes’ properties that had been forcibly seized from them in Ganta. Your response was somewhat persuasive: You mentioned the commission that you have set up to probe into the matter and amicably settle it once and for all. Since then, there has not been a sound from you or the commission on the subject. Was your reply mere rhetoric?

We have been observing the situation closely. In fact, I just returned from Liberia where I was able to see the unbelievable things in Ganta first hand: buildings belonging to the Mandingoes worth thousands of dollars are flattened on the ground, and Mandingoes are being denied their right to reconstruct their homes on the empty piece of land. At the moment, the people there are building on land owned by the Mandingoes as a result of government failure to get involved or out of open defiance to authority by those people. What a provocation.

It is against this background that we are asking your government to address the grave land issue in Ganta with urgency. I, in consultation with members of the affected group in the city, have set in motion a movement in Liberia, the US, Europe, and Asia that would explore avenues appropriate to rendering justice to our people. Properties that have been seized forcibly as a result of the war must be returned to the rightful owners in the name of peace. I hope this will claim your attention as anticipated. This is the end to the beginning of the struggle.
Thank you,

Sincerely,

Bangalee A. Trawally

Treasurer, Governing Board of Directors,
Organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM)
batrawally@yahoo. com

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