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HISTORICAL MENDACITY- AN AFFRONT TO
PATRIOTISM By: VARLEE A. CONNEH Courtesy: Liberian Observer 10 June, 2010  A
rejoinder to one Flomo Kokolo’s article “The Mandingo Question in
Liberian History and the Prospect for Peace in Liberia”, dated April 16,
20 and 21 in the Daily Observer. HISTORICAL EXISTENCE OF MANDINGOES IN LIBERIA BEFORE AND AFTER INDEPENDENCE The Mandingoes’ contributions to Liberia before and after independence are enormous and have greatly reformed the economic, socio-politico landscape of this nation-state. The existence of Mandingo as a formidable Islamized language in Liberia formerly called the green coast can be traced as far as the 14th century when the first European explorer in person of the Portuguese international Pedro-Di Centra arrived. He said that when he went on the coast he saw the Blewee and Balbo and travelled to the west where he met the Mohamedans. Who were the Mohamedans on the green in the 14th century? They were the predominant Mandingo Muslims who dwelled in the west by then. By the 8th century during the trans-Saharan trade, Muslim Arabs and Berbers converted Hausa and Mandingos who further spread the religion in West Africa. The Mandingo people are accredited for spreading Islam in Liberia where in the Vai, Gbandi, Mende and Gola are direct beneficiaries of their gesture. I differ with Mr. Kokolo, who fallaciously and erroneously referred to King Sao-Boso Kamara, king of the condo-confederacy that extended from Po River all the way to western Liberia as a Gbandi. It beats my imagination and I am perplexed if this man didn’t read elementary Liberian history, which clearly agrees that Sao-Boso was a Mandingo chief. It seems to me Kokolo’s exposé is characterized with prejudice, sentiment and personal envy, which have no page in the history. It is important to note that prior to the birth of Sao-Boso there was a Mandingo warrior who was called Litombo Sewee in the Yanyunyahun region of Mamboma, Lofa, an uncle of Sao-Boso. Sao-Boso’s father was called Koigbeh of the Kamara family who gave him to his uncle Litombo Sewee at an early age. Litombo was one day visited by a Lorma chief Tarnue Jallah of Dezemba (Lofa) who brought the old man present and in return to reciprocate, Litombo decided to send his messengers to the coastal land who were hijacked by the Gola robber, Gbogai. This nefarious saga gave rise to a liberation struggle sanctioned by Litombo Sewee and scrupulously implemented by his nephew King Sao-Boso Kamara. During this voyage Sao-Boso was deputized by Tarnue Jallah, accompanied by Jassa Nyei, inspector of captured territories, Kumazi Sanyon and Varflay Kollee all Mandingo Muslim prayer men from the Quardu-Gboni region and Lorma soldier Sonkan Balla and etc. When the entire Bopolu crumbled and shambled under the Mandingo- Lorma forces, the three greatest Mandingo families—the Sanyons, Nyeis and the Kamaras including other Mandingoes settled in Bopolu while the Lormas settled 30km in Sapema. This is a food for thought for Mr. Kokolo that those bearing the names Kamara, Sanyon, Massalay, Konneh, Kanneh, Dorley, etc, are Mandingoes who lost their tribal identity as the result of cultural assimilation and diffusion and claimed to be Vai, Gbandi and Bopolu Kpelle. Today, they are referred to in Cape Mount as Mande-vai meaning Vai-Mandingo, in Bomi and Gbapolu as Bopolu Kpelle and in Kolahun as Gbandi-Mandingo. King Sao-Boso travelled to Cape Mesurado to settle the dispute between the settlers and indigenes which in subsequent time led to the formation of a nation-state Liberia CHRONICLE OF LOFA FORMATION AND THE MANDINGO PIVOTAL ROLE It is very important that we understand the geo-politics of this nation-state so as to guide our thought in the process of uttering informed statements not to corrupt the minds of our little ones. Because posterity will hold us in contempt and even our souls shall not rest in peace if we attempt to distort history. Lofa was founded by the three sons of the last Mandingo King Foni-Kama who descended form the great Mandingo Empire of Mali and settled in Mesadu. His last wife Kumba, a Kissi woman who was captured in a fierce battle, gave birth to three of his seven children namely: Falawobo, Seimavilleh (SEMI-VARLEE) and Sisima. Previously Lofa was occupied by the Wonos who were giant-sized people living on that fertile land once bread basket of Liberia. The nephew of the three Mandingo warriors Famaja was sent on surveillance to the land in search of a habitable area. Upon his return to his uncles from the Wonos’ land marked the turning point of decisive Mandingo victory over the Wonos. A diviner advised that Fala Wobo join the poro in order to give smooth ride over their enemies. The Mandingo warriors advanced and conquered the Wonos who are today referred to as Kono. Fala Wobo, a Mandingo who joined the poro was the founder of the Lorma tribe called the Torma. Their brother Seimiveleh (Semi-varlee) had to sacrifice himself as advised by the diviner to capture Wumsava Mountain (the mountain with three heads in the vicinity of Voinjama) where commanders of the Wonos resided. Sisima and Famaja retain their status as Mandingoes and didn’t join the poro. And Sisima is accredited as the founder of Wonai Guoma-waiglomai, section of the Mandingo tribe which was inhabited along with his brother Seimavileh’s(semi-varlee) children referred to as Quardu-Gboni. While the initiated poro Mandingo and founder of the Lorma tribe established the Wubonai-Bunde, a section of the Lorma tribe. ERRONEOUS CLASSIFICATION OR CONFIGURATION OF LIBERIAN MANDINGO I gave you a clear picture of the rich Liberian Mandingo history so as to not give credence to the many contradictions and flaws that are contained with in the article of Mr. Kokolo. Why would person like Mr. Kokolo market falsehood which is disrespect to intellectualism? He reminds me of the Hagel Philosophy of Contradiction. You formulate a thesis, contradict the thesis with an anti-thesis and derive a synthesis. Mr. Kokolo states in his thesis that Quardu-Gboni people are not Mandingo but rather sub group of the Lorma tribe; he went further to have contradicted his thesis by saying the Mandingo ethnic stock in Liberia can be categorized into three main groups. They are Quardu-Gboni, the Koniyanka and the Mandinka. He said that there is no town or territory in Lofa, Bong and Nimba Counties that is said to have been established by the Mandingoes. When in fact acknowledged that the Quardu-Gboni people have title to land in Lofa County like their Lorma kinsmen. It appears as though sentiment has beclouded Mr. Kokolo’s eyes; therefore, he wallows continuously in contradiction and wanting to make false the hard facts that are already monumental and indelible. I constantly monitored his article: “The Mandingo Question in the Liberian History and The Prospect for Peace in Liberia,” in parts but I wanted him to crash land so that I can take logical argument with him. He said that the Koniyanka Mandingoes are people who do not have roots. I think this statement is an affront to the Mandingo race. Who was Soko Sackor? Soko Sackor was one of the commanders of the Liberian frontier force founded under the regime of President Arthur Barclay with the advice of a British diplomat, Briswaith and headed by a British Captain, R. Mackay Cadell. I try to give you a historical introspection of Mandingo settling in Bong and Nimba Counties. Soko Sackor came from Yealla in Zorzor went to Bong and later settled in Nimba as an officer of the Liberian frontier force. If you are to calculate the longevity of Mandingo settlement in Bong and Nimba is more than a century. Kokolo said that Mandingoes are spread in Lofa, Gbapolu, Nimba, and Bong Counties; therefore, they do not claim legitimacy to a specific settlement in Liberia. May I draw this elementary logic of some ethnic configuration in Liberia so as to give you the vivid mosaic of the Liberian society? For instance, the Bassa tribe occupies Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Margibi and Montserado; the Kpelle tribe occupies Bong, Margibi, Lofa, Gbapolu and Montserado; the Grebo can be found in Maryland and River Gee; and the Kru can be found in Sinoe and Grand Kru Counties. Should one say that these tribal groups do not have legitimate claim to specific settlements; therefore, they do not have title to land? This lazy argument of Kokolo can not hold water in a conscious society of ours. INVOLVEMENT INTO THE BODY POLITIC The constant encroachment on our territory by hydra-headed and misguided colonial French and British powers was a major test to our survival as a sovereign state. Those marauding beasts reduced the African race to sub-human level during the slave trade. They were always bickering over land before and after the so called Berlin conference of 1884-85. The powerful and diligent Mandingo chiefs Bongor Moigbeh Kamara of Saokonedu and Varflay Kole Kamara of Bulor all of whom hailed from Quardu-Gboni area with large commission over territory extending to Bopolu defended with bravery the prevention of the land from those colonial masters. They closely work along side their Lorma friend Dekeh Korvah to ensure that Lofa was annexed by Liberia which led to a conference attended by the French and British representatives and the government of Liberia. The three Mandingo and Lorma chiefs chose unanimously to join their black brothers (Government of Liberia). This action enthusiastically prompted a scintillate ceremony when President Daniel E. Howard awarded Bongor Moigbeh Kamara, Varflay Kole Kamara and Dekeh Korvah for framed decision as patriots and sons of the soil. When mistrust engulfed the Liberian frontier force which was the conglomeration of British, Sierra Leoneans and Liberians having mercilessly engaged into force recruitment of Liberian citizens for Fernandopo, a Mandingo was appointed as commanding General in person of Momolu Sirleaf. And he was later succeeded by another Mandingo Binyah Kessely as commanding General of the Liberian Frontier Force. Previously Soko Sackor had served as a high ranking officer of the Liberian Frontier Force. Today the Soko Sackor clinic is named in honor of Soko Sackor and the Camp Binyah Kessely Military Barracks is named in honor of General Binyah Kessely. The Unification and Integration policy of President William V. S. Tubman marked an important step of natives’ inclusion into the Government. The first native Foreign Secretary of State now Foreign Minster was a Mandingo called Momolu Dukuly. And Mandingoes have also striven along side other progressives to ensure that multi-partism took roots in this country. And the political pluralism that we long strove for came to full swing under the regime of President Doe. The British, Swedish and American international relations expert Dr. Edward B. Kessely, a Mandingo, was the chairman of the Constitution Advisory Committee of the 1984 Constitution, which replaced the Simeon Greenleaf’s divisive constitution that excluded native Liberians. Dr. Kessely, a former Minister of Information under the Tolbert regime, was the founding father and first standard bearer of the Unity Party (UP) and contested the 1985 General and Presidential Elections. COMPORTMENT AND PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE The Mandingo people had lived in peace and harmony with other ethnic groups in Liberia from the genesis of the state till Dec. 24 1989. They are involved in politics, commerce and trade competing with unfolding market forces with the quest to contribute to net exports (Balance of trade). They lived in mutual understanding with their Lorma, Gbandi, Kissi, Kpelle and Mende kinsmen in Lofa County with a long historical, cultural and religious heritage of peaceful co-existence. They also lived in Bong with their Kpelle brothers and in Nimba with the Mano, Gio, Krahn and Gbein kinsmen. Kokolo writes: “A large number of people through out the region, especially among the Fulanis and Mandinka, hold the view that the Koniyanka are people with no particular roots and that their livelihood is characterized by confusion, deceit and violence wherever they reside. Being vehemently resentful of them, the Fulani and Mandinka do not attend the same Mosques for worship with them in spite of the fact they are Muslims by faith”. May I ask these simple questions that any one can answer? Who was the architect of rebellion in this country since its formation? Was Charles Taylor a Koniyanka Mandingo? Let me retrospect on the gloomy day of December 24, 1989 when some bandits, messenaries, dissidents and miscreants headed by an international fugitive (Charles Taylor) now an indicted war criminal in The Hague waged a so called revolution that plunged our country into holocaust and wanton destruction. The debacle that besieged this country lasted for 14 years which claimed about two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) lives, an unprecedented episode and carnage that will forever be remembered in our 162 years of existence as a nation-state. When Taylor and his cannibals arrived on the Liberian soil, Mandingo and Krahn became target of dehumanization for reason(s) best known to themselves. Kokolo tried to evade the issue and refused to figure out those responsible for our suffering today. What is baffling is that Kokolo still does not understand that the Quardu-Gboni, Koniyanka and Mandinka are Mandingoes. And that Islam does not gave barrage with regards to denomination. Mr. Kokolo takes cognizance of this information from now on ward that the Koniyanka, Fulani and all Mandingoes can attend the same Mosques and pray together for Allah’s blessing. And the Koniyanka Mandingoes are peaceful, civilized and tolerant like any other Liberian. Liberian Mandingoes are guided by the Islamic principles, which state “Love your neighbors as you love your self”. This is why we Liberian Mandingoes have been sensitive to the plight of our fellow country men. Mr. Kokolo expressed frustration over the failure of the Mandingoes to marry their daughters to Non-Muslims. It seems to be Kokolo had long wished to marry a Mandingo woman but unfortunately his personal issue cannot be presented as a national case that will supersede the interest of the state by-and large. I recommend to Kokolo to exhaust our cultural and traditional procedures in order to dowry a beautiful Mandingo woman to meet his zest. However, the Mandingoes have had intermarriages with other tribes and those relationships have proven to be more productive, cordial and understanding for our society as one people with common agenda. Notwithstanding, this new dispensation has created a conducive playing page for exchange of ideas which is the mark of a democratic and civilized terrain. I am content that the guns have been silenced and muscular democracy is no more the order of the day. And I am intellectually charged and energized to discuss in forum or fora that will discuss lasting peace and stability in Liberia irrespective of our tribal, religious and cultural diversities. We all owe allegiance to this country and it is our civic responsibilities to make Liberia a safe heaven for all. About the author: Varlee A. Conneh holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Liberia. He rose through the ranks and files of student politics defending the hoi-poloi and fronting for a better society and learning environment. He is currently an activist fronting for social justice, academic freedom, and equality. |
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