“20 Years of Peace, Stability Means a Lot” – Says Dumoe, Wants Liberians Celebrate 2023 with Caution

MONROVIA – When Liberians signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in Accra, Ghana on August 18, 2003, many had not dreamed that the CPA would have borne such lasting peace and stability enjoyed today in Africa’s oldest republic that once served as a beacon for democracy but later turned into a theatre of bloodbath and mayhem for 14 years. Two decades down the line, with the ushering in of two decades of uninterrupted peace and stability on Sunday, January 1, 2023, Menipakei Dumoe, a Liberian politician, has been genuflecting on the gains made as a result of these past two decades of peace, but cautions Liberians to not rest on their laurels.

According to the former Bong County Senator aspirant in a New Year Message, 2023 is no small year for Liberia. “This year is a milestone, 2023 is Liberia’s 20th year of uninterrupted peace and stability. We now have a whole generation of Liberians that have never experienced war.”

Quoting OECD and other international development authorities, Mr. Dumoe noted in his message that it takes a post-conflict country 22 years to fully recover from the impact of civil war on its economy; and by this measure, Liberia is only two years away from hitting this crucial recovery benchmark.

“As things stand, Liberia is one of the most peaceful West African countries today; no violent protests, no coup d’état and no unconstitutional transfer of power in 20 years. Also, if all goes well at the polls this October, Liberians would have successfully organized three national elections since the departure of UNMIL or since the end of our “Blue helmet protected Democracy” (2017, 2020 and 2023).

“At this vantage point of six years after UNMIL and 18 years since the first democratic elections, we can be proud collectively of how far we have come.

“None of what I have listed above means we should be satisfied with the state of our country. I say we should fight for more and better because it is possible and necessary but we must also not discount how far we have come.

“To drive my point about the durability of our peace home, just imagine, a child who was born in 2003 when the Comprehensive Peace Accord or CPA was signed in Accra will be turning 20 this year.

“Add to that a child born in 2005 when George Weah lost to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at the polls, will also be turning 18 this year and will be eligible to vote in an election to determine if he gets a second term or not,” Dumoe said stoically.