Former President George Weah has expressed outrage and deep concern following a violent confrontation between riot police and supporters of his party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
Weah criticized the police for allegedly using excessive force, including opening fire on civilians near the CDC headquarters on Tubman Boulevard in Congo Town.
Speaking tto the press after the incident, Weah condemned the actions as a significant threat to peace and questioned the United Party (UP)-led administration’s capacity to govern effectively.
He stated, “The UP administration claims to know how to govern, but their actions show a lack of tolerance. Why open fire on innocent civilians? As early as 2 AM, they began their attacks.”
The incident unfolded early Thursday morning, when officers from the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) reportedly pursued suspected drug dealers into the CDC headquarters after a raid in the nearby Small-Town Community.
This led to a violent clash between CDC supporters and the police, with footage showing party members being forcefully detained by riot police. One particularly alarming video captured officers dragging a supporter from the party headquarters amidst a cloud of tear gas.
Jefferson Koijee, Secretary General of the CDC, took to social media to report the ongoing situation.
“Heavily armed state security forces have invaded our party’s headquarters for the second time this morning, engaging in sporadic shootings that caused panic and chaos among citizens and partisans in and around the party’s headquarters,” Koijee wrote on Facebook.
He further accused the administration of deliberately provoking unrest, stating, “This unscrupulous action by the Boakai administration is aimed at disrupting our hard-earned peace. The peace of this country is far bigger than President Boakai and his gang of political desperadoes.”
Amid the escalating violence, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fonati Koffa, attempted to mediate the situation. However, his efforts were unsuccessful, and he was forced to leave the scene as tensions remained high. Members of the Women In Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) also arrived in hopes of calming the situation, but were compelled to withdraw due to safety concerns.
The situation remains tense, with Weah demanding immediate answers and accountability for what he described as a severe breach of peace and governance.
