allAfrica.com: Liberia: Are Mandingoes Really Citizens Or Foreigners? (Page 1 of 2)

According to H. VonLau, we exist and survive by making judgments. In this big issue that has supposedly been shaping the fate of the Mandingo people in Liberia, our judgments are based on simplifications and generalizations, on what we have heard others saying about the Mandingo tribe. All people, particularly in a democracy, should deal with and judge these two words - Simplification and Generalization, with caution. The choice before us is bad and misleading, simplification and generalization.

As one should know, generalization guides public opinion, public opinion influences and sometimes determines government policy, and government policy holds the fatal trigger of war and peace, particularly when the subject is citizenship. Let us, therefore, be knowledgeable and just in our generalizations and simplifications. I think, the best way of looking at a chain of critical issues is to set the proper perspectives, indicate the chain of events and their characteristics and above all, establish a sense of right and fairness, if we want to treat this all important subject responsibly.

In furtherance, it is generally accepted by many philosophers that one can be knowledgeable and yet not wise. The only known outfit that knowledge has to wear is wisdom. Then, what should one expect of a knowledgeable person in the absence of wisdom. (Common sense)! Many Liberians have always viewed that question from the peripheral as a 20-20 vision in addressing the legal status of the Mandingo tribe in Liberia. The tribe has always been viewed as extraterrestrial elements. Sometimes it is not only suggested that they don't belong, they are told. Even if born here, naturalized, came from another country, or appear here through some metaphysical process, it does not matter, they are all Guineans. The impact is so devastating; some members of the tribe are beginning to believe it. If for some reasons a few excel to a position of power by accumulating wealth, political achievement, or acquire special skills, they are treated differently, not because they are Liberians but only because they are exceptional. And, they will continue to enjoy that special treatment as long as they remain to be needed or relevant. The few that manage to fly over the coo-coo's nest, sometimes tent to alienate their brothers and sisters for fear of losing their social standing and acceptance, you see it everyday.

As a member of the tribe, analytically, I have tried to figure out or identify the fundamental reasons for this general perception that Mandingo people are not citizens of Liberia. Please do not take this as a joke. A significant number of our population is convinced that the Mandingo tribe does not belong here (Liberia) as they are all Guineans. I have, therefore, drawn my conclusion based on two major factors: The perceived and speculative closeness of the Mandingo culture! The Mandingo culture is perceived as not very outsider friendly, even within their own social settings. Of course and as a matter of fact, like many cultures, certain aspects are considered as not been outsider friendly.

However, it will take more then this article to explain and for others to understand. Notwithstanding, I will attempt to decipher the methodical connections, misinterpretations, misconceptions, and most important, the intrigues of the Mandingo culture by introducing four unfamiliar words that have majestically and judiciously sustained the socio-economic, religious values and entrepreneurial orientation of the tribe, throughout the years. These shared standard values are the four pillars that are considered to be the driving force of the culture; Fabadinya- the protection of your immediate family name and pride Sananguya - the protection of the dignity and glory of the sub-tribe, i.e. Kromah, Jabateh, Donzo, Kamara, Swaray, Keita, Konneh, Sesay, Jan'neh, Sherif, Bility, Soumahoro-Kanneh, just to name a few. Kamesanya -your natural competitors in the healthiest sense. Individuals that you don't ever want your ugly side to be seen by. The purpose is to maintain purity within the family name and not being associated with anything indecent act, criminal, immoral or otherwise. (d) Lami-personal conscience-individual sense of right and Judgment. Without a formal exposure of these terms, one cannot remain outside and fully understand the intrigues. These are the fundamentals and the essentials of the culture and

Islam-the masses of our members are mostly illiterate and do not understand the dos and don'ts of Islam. In the absence of a formal education, the religion is left with most people without much understanding. It is, therefore, practiced with personal values, feelings and cultural understanding as how God is, how He should be and how He's going to get you, if you fall out of line and that line is drawn and defined by individual values, that, I consider a major dilemma. As the saying goes, "from clarity comes understanding, from understanding comes knowledge, and from knowledge then comes a peaceful co-existence". The majority of our Liberian population does not know much about the Mandingo tribe, in its purest sense. In the absence of a clear-cut understanding of the culture, the tribe comes under a Big Indictment. What is the crime?

Being Foreign! (Of course, there's a natural tendency for human beings to form an opinion on anything they do not understand). These opinions are translated into stigmatization based on their own personal interpretations, biases and prejudices. This has manifested itself into an ugly opinion on the tribe. Though the perception that some Mandingo people are foreigners has some physical reality but not unique to the Mandingo tribe. The Kissi, the Loma, the Mano, the Kpelle tribes also come from Guinea; the Krahn, the Gio, and the Grebo tribes come from the Ivory Coast. The Vai, the Gola, the Congor, the Mande, the Gbande and the Kissi also come from Sierra Leone. The Congors largely come from the United States.

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