Monrovia — "Why must our government apologize?" asked one caller on a local radio station in response to news that the Liberian government had sent an apology note to the Ghanaian government over recent protests by Liberian refugees in Ghana.
The response is typical of the emotions many Liberians have felt in the wake of a row between the refugees and the Ghanaian authorities over repatriation to Liberia.
Controversy began last week, when Ghanaian authorities set out to send the refugees home with a small relocation allowance from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The Liberians were to be given U.S. $100; however, they demanded U.S. $1,000 and staged a sit-in.
The Ghanaians detained 630 refugees and forcibly deported 16 to Liberia. One human rights group in Ghana is suing the government for mistreating the refugees, but the government claims the refugees' protest action was illegal because they did not give notice to the proper authorities. The NEWS, a Liberian publication, reported Tuesday that UNHCR has called on Ghana to stop the repatriation.
During Liberia's years of civil war, thousands of Liberian refugees sought refuge in Ghana, where many of them acquired education, jobs, homes and even spouses. Many Liberian refugees in Ghana regard the country as a second home.
Many Liberian returnees from Ghana lament the recent turn of events. Previously they looked upon Ghana as a development model to follow. Now, on street corners, market places, bars and the like, in Monrovia, the refugee crisis is a hot topic.
The dozen or so radio stations and other media outlets in Monrovia and surrounding areas have made the refugees' protest and the subsequent detentions the central theme of discussion. Guests phone into the stations daily expressing views which could either calm or inflame the already volatile situation further.
Why call the situation volatile? Because in a very short period many Liberians seem to have forgotten the extremely cordial relationship that existed between these two west African countries. They are now even calling for reciprocal treatment of Ghanaians in Liberia. In one Monrovia marketplace, a Ghanaian was recently harassed by hawkers.
A recent trip by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her cabinet to Voinjama, a city in Liberia's northern Lofa county, was overshadowed by the potentially explosive nature of the Ghana situation. The government quickly warned Liberians against what it called "xenophobic" messages. Ministers and presidential spokespersons have all been called on to calm citizens' reactions.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Over the 14 years of Liberia's civil crisis, Ghanaian troops were sent here on both the peacekeeping mission of the Economic Community of West African States and that of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (Unmil). Ghana's cities hosted meetings for the signing of a number of peace accords, including the 2003 accord in Accra that ended 14 years of bloodshed. In the midst of the controversy, these are the points of which the Liberian government has tried to remind Liberians - but who is listening?
It is critical for Liberians to avoid having their emotional reactions override rational judgments. While no group of people anywhere on the globe would receive lightly the news of their compatriots being "maltreated," it is essential to remember that the rule of law is the solid pillar upon which any fledgling democracy such as ours can be comfortably built.
Let's give the government a chance to act. Sentiments can flare up easily, but reactions are what will be remembered. The refugee incident is only a small bump in the road of the years of smooth travel between Liberia and Ghana.
