Condemnations have been pouring in since the burning down and demolition of properties as a result of a long standing land dispute in the Dumpa Field Community in Ganta City, Nimba County on Monday.
Latest of them is the former Vice President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai who did not only condemn the violence but also called for calm in the wake of a resurgence of land disputes in that part of the country.
The former Vice President pointed out that the settlement of land disputes through the court is the best alternative and those aggrieved should take advantage of the process and refrain from making utterances that undermine peace and stability in the county, a statement from his office said.
Ambassador Boakai stressed that no dispute or misunderstanding should be allowed to stand in the way of the hard-earned peace in Liberia.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the former Vice President also expressed concern over series of unexplained deaths in the country and restated his earlier call on the government to find the perpetrators and bring them before the law.
The former Vice President has always spoken against unresolved crimes, said, it is the constitutional right of citizens to live in peace as violence provides safe haven for criminals.
The statement further quotes the former Vice President as calling on the government to take steps in restoring confidence in the banking sector, noting that the printing of new bank notes remains an unrealistic exercise if the money will end up in private vaults for fear of lack of confidence in the banks.
In another development, the former Vice President expressed concern over the closure of the Curran Hospital in Zorzor, Lofa County and called on the government to ensure that the major teaching and referral facility in Lofa remains opened.
He expressed dismay that the health care delivery system in northern Liberia is seriously undermined by the closure of the Curran Hospital in Zorzor.
Condo Reconciliation Group Incorporated, a United States based non-governmental organization also expressed that the violence comes at the time when CONDO has embarked on plan to make a meaningful contribution to the reconciliation and healing process among residents of the county.
The Organization is therefore calling on all parties to exercise extreme restraint and let the rule of law takes it course, noting, “As we are aware, the matter has claimed the urgent attention of the President, Dr. George Maneh Weah and the Chief Justice of Liberia as well the Minister of Justice.”
The conflict is the result of a land dispute that resulted into dispatching a team of the LNP Police Support Unit to forcibly implement an eviction order from an alleged court ruling and that the enforcement of the eviction order led to the demolition of properties and chaos created lot of agitation and indignation from the victim group.
“This in our view calls for an urgent investigation and enforcement of rule of law and if the findings reveal any abuse of power or misapplication of the due process of law, those responsible must be held accountable,” CONDO stated.
The groups reminded that, “Liberia and Liberians are desperately in need of continuous and uninterrupted peace and stability in order to appeal to conscience of investors for sustainable development. This in our view is highly unachievable in the absence of the rule of law and indiscriminate access to justice.
We will like to use this opportunity to reiterate our call for every citizen to see peace as personal responsibility which they must upheld as a contribution to the stability and development of the country. “
In the statement issued in Monrovia on Wednesday, April 21, under the signature of the Executive Director of them US based peace advocacy group, Executive Director (ED) Kabah M. Trawally, it said, “We call on all those involved in the violence to remain peaceful and exercise restraint, as the relevant authorities amicably handle the situation,”
However, calm is gradually returning in the Bain- Garr District as school administrators have reopened schools in that part of the district in the county.
Many of the residents on April 20, 2021 stormed various campuses to escape to unknown destinations for fear of being killed during the violence that brought all normal activities to a standstill in the district.
Since the outbreaks of the violence on April 19, 2021 in Ganta, there is huge present of ERU arms Police along with the AFL Soldiers patrolling every community to prevent reoccurrence of violence and making sure that law, order is restore respectively.
The District Education Officer, Abel Legay, is assuring parents that all schools operating in the district are now reopened and that parents should allow their children to go return to classes as government is in control of the situation in the county.
During a guided tour on April 22 from the LPMC community to the main street in Ganta, many of the kids attending various Day care and grade school were seen going to their various campuses as state security patrol the main street to restore law and order in the county.
When this paper visited the campus of the government John Wesley Pearson senior high school at the pearson community, many of the classes was occupy with students for the first time since the violence broke out in Ganta, Nimba County.