Liberia History & Information

COPLA: Why does LURD prefer to deal with Mr. Taylor militarily and not democratically through the ballot box in 2003?

Gen. Prince Johnson, disguised

 JW: The year 2003 is too far. At the rate Mr. Taylor is killing our people and suffering the nation, the refugees in the region might also increase by the year 2003. So ours is a rescue mission to free our people from refugee camps, provide drinking water for our people, provide light that Mr. Taylor cannot provide, provide medical care and schools for our children and restore the dignity of the Liberian man once again. 

COPLA: What do you make of the proposed controversial sanctions against the Taylor regime?

JW: The sanctions were a good attempt to pressure Mr. Taylor diplomatically and internationally to come to terms with the reality of West Africa, in general, and Liberia, in particular. That reality is Mr. Taylor must resign so that our country and the entire subregion will have peace once again. But as usual, certain West African leaders, who have a “mercenary mentality,” have taken bribes from Mr. Taylor and Mr. Khaddafi to prolong the suffering of the Liberian people. We in LURD are of the conviction that this kind of pussyfooting with Mr. Taylor on the part of certain West African leaders is very dangerous even to those leaders who support Taylor. They should understand that anything less than Taylor’s removal from power would be unacceptable and uncivilized.

COPLA: What if sanctions are not imposed against Liberia by the United Nations Security Council?

JW: We in LURD do not really need sanctions to liberate us. We are bleeding, we are dying, we are crying and we are sweating to make sure our dream of freedom is translated into material freedom; that our dream of freedom is translated into reality.

Gen. Wylie, second from left, flanked by bodyguards

COPLA: Let’s talk a little about territorial gains at the warfront.

JW: We are not in Liberia to make news about gaining villages, little towns and cities in the interior of the country. We are interested in waging a decisive war that will free the entire country — from Cape Palmas to Cape Mount, from Gbezon, Grand Bassa County to Yekepa, Nimba County. And so we shall not announce having captured any village or town. It is not our place to take people’s villages and turn them into military camps.