Liberia: Methodist Human Rights Monitor Condemns Police Heavy-Handedness

5 March 2024
The New Dawn (Monrovia)
By Lewis S. Teh

The United Methodist Church of the Liberia Annual Conference strongly condemns recent Police excessive force at a concession site in Grand Cape Mount County that led to several deaths.

The Methodist Church Human Rights Monitor here is calling on President Joseph Boakai to robustly deal with Police brutality leading to deaths in less than hundred days of his administration.

The United Methodist Church Human Rights Monitor here is calling on President Joseph Boakai to robustly deal with Police brutality leading to deaths in less than hundred days of his administration.

The United Methodist Human Rights Monitor program director Jefferson Knight, in a news conference on March 4, 2024, said the alleged killing of peaceful citizens in Kinjor, a mining site in Grand Cape Mount County, and the beating to death of another person in Montserrado County District #15 must claim the attention of the Boakai-Koung administration.

"President Boakai and the Police Inspector General need to act, including the Justice Minister, they all need to act swiftly because the world is watching", he urged.

Mr. Knight said the United Methodist Human Rights Monitor categorically condemns the hostile violent act in Kinjor that led to the deaths of several persons, including the incident in District #15.

He said though the number of deaths from Kinjor seems conflicting, such acts shouldn't have a place in the Liberian society.

Last week, it was reported that at least three persons died and several others were injured during longstanding protests against the operation of Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC).

The protests, which eventually turned bloody, took place in Tewore District, Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County.

But responding to the situation, the UMC human rights monitor program director continued "I want to condemn those acts; they are barbaric, evil and such shouldn't be taken likely especially, in a country like Liberia that has just emerged from election."

He stressed that it is but time national government strengthen democracy, national security and move the county's developmental agenda forward something, he noted will encourage investors to come into the country to help move the government development drive forward.

Mr. Knight lamented that these evil and gruesome acts being perpetrated against peaceful citizens are scaring, as they have the potential of driving away investors in Liberia. Editing by Jonathan Browne

Read the original article on New Dawn.

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