Weaponized Elections:  Political Violence Leaves Three Dead in Foya

At least three persons were reported dead in political clashes in Lofa County commercial City of Foya on Friday, September 29, 2023.

Foya is a city in the Foya District of Lofa County, located 66 kilometers from Voinjama and home to the Kissi-speaking tribes of Liberia. Foya shares borders with Sierra Leone and Guinea;

The clashes between supporters of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the opposition Unity Party led to three fatalities.

The United States Embassy, ECOWAS, the United Nations in Liberia, and the Liberian Council of Churches (LCC) have strongly condemned the incident, expressed condolences to the families of the victims, and called for justice and an immediate end to the violence.

According to a press release issued on September 30, the U.S. Embassy calls upon authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice, noting that political differences must be solved at the ballot box as a result violence is not the answer.

Mo Ali, Spokesman of the Unity Party Campaign, told FrontPage Africa that the violence was “triggered by supporters of Rep. Thomas Fallah who began throwing stones at members of the Unity Party from his fence”; but videos streamed on social media prove the contrary.

You can view a streamed video on the violence here

Members of the Unity Party in Lofa County were seen vandalizing newly erected streetlights and attempting to destroy newly constructed infrastructures that are said to be owned or erected by Representative Thomas Fallah”. 

Representative Thomas Fallah said the violence was premeditated by supporters of the Unity Party and the violence occurred in the vicinity of his compound.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has dispatched a team to Lofa County to investigate the incident and keep the situation under control.

The team is mandated by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General to fast-track the investigation and report its findings soon.

The Joint Security Media Relations Team is expected to provide an initial update on the incident in Foya, Lofa County on Saturday, September 30.

At the same time, the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) has issued a strong condemnation of the political violence in Foya, which resulted in the terrible loss of lives and severe injuries including a law enforcement officer.

In a press statement released by the Council, they expressed their utmost dissatisfaction with the violence and called on the citizens of Foya, to remain calm while State Security forces work to regain control of the situation.

The Council urged both the Unity Party and Coalition of Democratic Change, to fully cooperate with the Joint Security in the investigation as a means to resolve the matter and maintain peace in the region.

The Liberia Council of Churches also called on Liberia’s youth, to know the significance of their responsibilities as future leaders, something which the LCC, discouraged the youth for their involvement of young people in acts of violence that have been stage-managed by politicians.  

View another streamed video of the violence here

However, in separate statements, both the Unity Party and Coalition for Democratic Change have condemned the violence. CDC Thomas Fallah, says he is “deeply saddened” by the regrettable event that occurred Friday in the district that led to the death of at least three persons.

Fallah in a press conference late Friday, September 29, said, “I want to make it unequivocally clear that I had taken the responsible step of suspending our campaign activities for the day. I had instructed all partisans of the CDC in Foya to stay away from the streets to allow the peaceful conduct of the Unity Party campaign rally.”

But the Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) lawmaker was quick to accuse the opposition Unity Party of the attack, which claimed the lives of three persons believed to be partisans of the CDC.

The incumbent lawmaker of District # 1 Francis S. Nyumalin said the Friday incident is the worst that Foya has ever experienced under any sitting Government and the citizens of Foya were reminded of the 1990.

The Unity Party Representative also said the violence was masterminded by his opponent Thomas Fallah on grounds of frustration that President Weah visited Foya with a low turnout.

Foya District is a Kissi district and the headquarters of Lofa County Electoral District number one, as well as the birth home of former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.