By Danesius Marteh,
An eminent son of Sinoe County, Elton Johns, has called for calm at the Sapo National Park following a reported tension between citizens and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).
Johns, who is the chief executive officer of Bukon Jadeh Group of Companies, said footages from Sinoe are troubling and alarming.
Sinoe County Representative Simpson Wiah accused the AFL of deserting their assignment to intimidate ordinary citizens and disrupt ongoing traditional activities.
Wiah alleged that the AFL personnel, who were originally deployed to protect illegal mining and poaching at the park, abandoned their posts to engage in illicit transactions with miners and move into civilian communities.
At a news conference at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia on Wednesday, he explained that tensions peaked when the military reportedly violated local traditions by disrupting a sacred initiation ceremony.
But Johns has called on the government to quickly bring the situation under control before it reaches boiling point.
“So we called on central government to set-up a committee in collaboration with authority of Sinoe County to resolve this matter before it gets out of hand.
“The people of Sinoe are peace loving and nonviolent people. We hope and pray that both sides can exercise [maximum] restraint to see how best it can resolve in the soonest possible time,” said Johns.
As a native of Bukon Jadeh, Johns said spoke to Wiah with a great deal of fear.
“We saw it during the [Charles] Taylor-regime. There were too many tensions that were being mounted against citizens of Jadepo. It escalated into violent activities.
“So we call on the Boakai administration to kindly work with the seated lawmaker and authority of Sinoe County to see how the issue can be resolved in the soonest possible time,” Johns pleaded.
When contacted, Assistant Defense Minister Oscar Mulbah said calm has been restored to the park.
Mulbah said Defense Minister Geraldine George has constituted a committee to determine the facts and circumstances of the situation and findings will be made public.
