By George S. Tengbeh
Take your pen and a copybook to learn as well. These are a few of the many stories you were never taught in school. History will help you as I narrate this story for you today.
We have all witnessed attempts by unscrupulous individuals in political circles to exploit tribal divisions, framing Liberia as North versus South, or East versus West. Let me be absolutely clear: there is no North, South, East, or West politics in Liberia; there is only one politics, and that is for one common denominator, Liberia.
We must never allow ourselves to be used as tools for the personal greed of politicians, as was evident during the recent legislative and presidential elections. Such manipulation is not harmless; it is the beginning of the destruction of an entire generation. Our unity is our strength, and any attempt to divide us along tribal lines is a threat to the future of our nation.
Let me start by saying, NEVER again shall Liberians allow political puppets so filled with power and greed to use them for their own interest. NEVER AGAIN!
What lessons can Liberia learn from Rwanda’s genocide? How can politicians prevent tribal manipulation from escalating into violence?
What role should citizens play in safeguarding peace? How should the media report responsibly during times of tension? And finally, what does it take for a nation to ensure that “Never Again” is not just a slogan but a living reality?
In 1994, Rwanda descended into one of the darkest chapters of human history. In just 100 days, nearly 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis and some moderate Hutus, were slaughtered. Neighbors turned on neighbors, often spurred on by propaganda over the radio. The killings were not spontaneous; they were orchestrated by politicians and militias who weaponized ethnicity for power.
For Liberians, this horror resonates all too closely. Our own two civil wars (1989–1997 and 1999–2003) claimed an estimated 250,000 lives and displaced nearly a million more. Like Rwanda, our conflicts were not foreign invasions. They were fueled by tribal manipulation, economic frustrations, and the betrayal of truth by politicians and sections of the media.
Rwanda’s Warning
The Rwandan genocide was triggered by the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana in April 1994. His death provided extremists with the excuse to unleash long-prepared plans of extermination. Radio propaganda painted Tutsis as “cockroaches,” and militias were directed to hunt them down.
But the genocide’s roots stretched back decades. Colonial policies had hardened ethnic divisions, and post-independence leaders deepened them. By the early 1990s, as poverty and discontent grew, politicians used fear and hate to secure power.
When the killings began, the international community stood by. Most UN troops withdrew, leaving Rwanda to endure 100 days of terror. The genocide ended only when the Rwandan Patriotic Front seized Kigali. By then, Rwanda was not only devastated in lives lost but in trust destroyed.
Liberia’s Reflection
Liberia’s wars unfolded differently, but with strikingly similar themes. In December 1989, Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) launched an insurrection against President Samuel Doe. Within months, the conflict had taken on a tribal character. The Gio and Mano were accused of supporting Taylor, while the Krahn, Doe’s tribe, were seen as loyalists. Innocent people were slaughtered simply because of their names, dialect, or country of origin.
The St. Peter’s Lutheran Church massacre in July 1990 remains one of the most haunting episodes: armed men stormed a sanctuary in Monrovia where displaced civilians had sought refuge, killing over 600 men, women, and children. Doe himself was later captured and brutally executed in September 1990, his death filmed and celebrated by rival forces, a stark sign of how dehumanized the conflict had become.
The second civil war (1999–2003) was no different. Ethnic suspicion and tribal mobilization once again defined allegiances. Civilians bore the heaviest burden, including rape, forced recruitment of child soldiers, mass displacement, and starvation. By the time the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in August 2003, thanks to Limba Gbowee and others, Liberia was in ruins, its economy shattered, and its people traumatized.
The media, like in Rwanda, often amplified the divisions. Rumors, biased reporting, and politically motivated broadcasts fueled fear. Some journalists allowed themselves to become weapons of war instead of guardians of truth.
Communal Gossamers
The parallels between Rwanda and Liberia reveal painful truths:
- Ethnic manipulation fuels conflict. In Rwanda, Tutsis were scapegoated; in Liberia, Gio, Mano, Krahn, Mandingo, and others were alternately demonized.
- Media propaganda can be as deadly as weapons. Rwanda’s radio stations directed killings; Liberia’s partisan press spread fear and tribal suspicion.
- Political opportunism sacrifices unity for power. Leaders in both nations used identity politics as a survival strategy.
- Citizens, by action or silence, became complicit. Violence was carried out not only by soldiers but also by civilians convinced, or coerced, that killing was survival.
- International hesitation left nations to bleed. In both cases, global powers delayed intervention until the damage was irreversible.
The lesson is clear: violence begins with words, not weapons. Every slur, every rumor, every divisive speech plants seeds that can one day grow into catastrophe.
A Message to Liberia’s Politicians
Liberia’s politicians must heed this warning: do not gamble with tribal loyalty for short-term gain. Power achieved by dividing the people is an illusion; it always collapses into chaos. Every campaign run on tribal rhetoric, every appointment framed as tribal entitlement, and every speech that pits one community against another is a betrayal of national unity.
History will not remember how many terms a leader served, but whether the nation stayed whole under their watch. Politicians must understand: if you light the fire of tribal hatred, you may not control the flames when they engulf the nation. Rwanda proves how quickly words can become weapons.
A Message to Liberia’s Citizens
Citizens, too, carry responsibility. In Rwanda, neighbors killed neighbors not out of genuine hatred but because they allowed fear and manipulation to cloud their judgment. In Liberia, ordinary people joined militias, looted their neighbors, and carried out atrocities.
We must refuse to be used again. No politician will suffer more than ordinary citizens when violence erupts. The farmer, the market woman, the student, and the child will pay the price. As voters, Liberians must rise above tribal politics. We must choose leaders not because of their tribe, but because of their vision for unity, justice, and development.
A Message to Liberia’s Media
The media holds perhaps the greatest responsibility. Rwanda’s genocide was accelerated by radio broadcasts that directed killings. In Liberia, some media institutions amplified tribal divisions during war and still today engage in sensationalism.
Journalists must choose whether they will be guardians of peace or messengers of division. Journalism is not neutral when it comes to hate speech: to spread it is to endorse it. The press must hold leaders accountable, but it must also reject the temptation to inflame tensions for ratings or political favor.
Liberia needs media that educates, informs, and unites, not media that destroys.
Never Again in Liberia
Rwanda’s genocide is a mirror for Liberia. Both nations show how quickly tribal politics, reckless media, and citizen complicity can destroy a society. But they also show resilience. Rwanda has rebuilt, and Liberia too, has a chance if we heed the warning.
To our politicians: unite, do not divide.
To our citizens: resist manipulation, demand peace.
To our journalists: wield your microphone for truth, not hate.
“Never Again” must be more than a slogan. It must be our national covenant. Liberia cannot afford another descent into tribal war. The price is too high to pay a second time.
About the author:
George S Tengbeh is a Labour and Environmental Justice Advocate. He is also a researcher, columnist, and lecturer at the University of Liberia. E: gstengbeh@gmail.com T:+231880767070
