Friday 30 June 2023
Liberia Celebrates Independence, 26bJuly 2023
By Joy Osiagwu
Liberia (land of the free) is a country in West Africa with Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, and Cote D’Ivoire as neighboring countries. It gained independence from America on July 26, 1847. Joseph Jenkins Roberts was elected as the first president of the new nation. He was appointed previously as the first Black governor of the colony after the death of Governor Thomas Buchanan, a member of the American Colonization Society who advocated the return of freed Black people to the African continent.
Described as Africa’s oldest republic, Liberia, with its capital city at Monrovia, became famous in the late 80s into the 90s due to its long-running civil wars, which resulted in almost two hundred and fifty thousand people dying. At the same time, thousands left the country due to the economy’s collapse. Many students left the country to further their studies abroad as the warring factions destroyed education facilities.
The nation was founded by freed Black Americans and the Caribbean, but the predominant inhabitants were Africans, with 5% of enslaved people’s descendants.
Liberia has a population of 5.193 million. The official language is English.
The people love rice, the staple food; cassava, fish, sweet potatoes, stew spiced with habanero, and scotched bonnet peppers combined with the famous fufu are some of the delicacies.
The election of Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the 24th president of Liberia and the first elected female head of state in Africa from 2006-2018 is one of the inspirational developments on the African continent. She won the Nobel Peace, Ibrahim, and Indira Gandhi prizes.
On the other hand, Charles Taylor, a convicted warlord and the 22nd president is the brain behind the second Liberian Civil War, who was forced to resign on August 11, 2003, due to growing international pressure about the civil war and hardship suffered by the continent.
The British and the United Nations peacekeeping missions contributed immensely to the current peace enjoyed by the nation. Liberia is a member of the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the Commonwealth, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the African Development Bank (AFDB).
Current Governance Structure
The system of governance is a multiparty republic where the head of state and government is the president, elected for a six-year term. The National Assembly members have different service years. The senators serve for nine years, while members of the House of Representatives serve six-year terms.
George Weah is the 25th president of Liberia. He was elected in January 2018. Before the election, he was a member of the Senate in 2014. The president is also famous for his soccer prowess and was named the African, European, and World Player of the Year in 1995. Even while focusing on the game, he dedicated time to advocating for ending Liberia’s civil war.
Trending News
The European Union (EU) and the government of Liberia have signed an $88 Million deal to assist in a new partnership between the nation and the EU.
The Minister of Finance, Samuel Tweah, signed on behalf of the government of Liberia and the head of the EU delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse, signed on behalf of the EU at the Delegation’s head office in Mamba Point on June 5. The New Dawn news reports that the funds are meant to “strengthen inclusive and accountable democracy in Liberia.”
The focus areas would be Education and training in technical and vocational fields, Agriculture to boost food production, and forestry and conservation for sustainable economic development.
Liberia Ottawa Connection
The Liberian Association of Ottawa is a social entity to strengthen the culture of its members in Ottawa while assisting new immigrants to integrate into Canadian society.
The members celebrate cultural diversities, peace, and human development. They also support many Liberians who fled the country during the long civil war to build their lives. The members are self-sponsored and supported by some members of the Canadian society. Visit the Facebook page read about their activities and events.
https://www.facebook.com/LiberianAssociationofOttawa/about_details
Liberia has no diplomatic mission in Canada at the moment.