Liberian Mandingoes from across the United States, Liberia and other places will begin an effort to reconcile among themselves before reaching out to other Liberian communities when they convene a huge All-Liberian Mandingoes conference in Philadelphia this weekend.

The conference themed “Community Unity and Empowerment in post-war Liberia” will kick off on Friday, June 29, and concludes on Sunday, July 1, 2007. The conference hopes to establish a federation or union of Mandingo organizations from across the United States referred to as, Federation of Liberian Mandingoes of the USA (FELMAUSA).

It will also provide means for internal reconciliation within the Mandingo community and enables Mandingos to discuss how they can form an integral part of the reconciliation and rebuilding process of Liberia. The conference will also seek to propose projects in the areas of health, education, media, and human rights or advocacy.

When formed, FELMAUSA will conserve the Mandingo ethnic group and its cultures. It will protect and promotes the interest of Mandingos at home and abroad. It will encourage dialogue and initiate activities indicative of peace building, unity and reconciliation for all Mandingos, people of Mandingo descent and our country Liberia.

Conference organizers have disclosed that former presidential candidate Prof. Alhaji G.V. Kromah, will deliver the keynote address on peace and reconciliation in Liberia. As you are aware, Kromah is also former leader of the now disbanded ULIMO faction in Liberia. Kromah has been challenged to play a major role in uniting the Liberian Mandingo community and Liberia as whole, said conference Chairman Mohammed Bility.

Other notable speakers expected to grace this historic occasion include Sheik Kafumba Konneh, a member of the Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Kabineh Jan’eh, Associate Justice, Musa Bility, Chairman of the Board of the national port Authority (NPA), Alvin Teage Jalloh, Attorney-at-law here in Philadelphia, Mamiata Jabateh Sirleaf of North Carolina, Dr. Abu Mansally of Philadelphia and Momo Dudu of Minnesota.

 http://limap.org/felmausa.htm

Those who will not attend this year’s conference due to engagements include Liberia’s Acting Public Works Minister Losene Donzo. Mr. Donzo has given his blessings to the conference in a short letter sent to the organizing committee. He praised the organizers and urged them to foster true reconciliation agendas and programs that will educate the young people in our community.

In addition, there are reports that the Liberian government is closely following events relating to the conference. “We just got information that our government is curiously awaiting the outcome of this conference, because President (Ellen) Johnson Sirleaf has always said reconciliation is the way forward,” said an organizer.

Some Liberian government officials are expected to join their kinsmen in Philly to harmonize their differences and offer consolation to each other. The organizing committee responsible for the conference told FPA that Mandingos from far and near including Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia would be at the conference.

Bility said when Liberia descended in into chaos due to the civil war, one community that was hard hit was the Mandingo community, now that the war is over and Liberia is entering a new era in its history, it is important that Mandingos are fully involved in the healing and rebuilding process of Liberia.”

Bility, who is also president of the Liberian Mandingoes association in Pennsylvania (LIMAP) and heads of other States’ organizations, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Georgia, New Jersey, North, Georgia, South Carolina, Arizona, Virginia & Washington D.C, and New York, have discussed for some time the possibilities of forming a union of Mandingo communities to launch a common agenda for peace and unity in Liberia.

“Here we are today. We are going to build a foundation upon which Mandingos will participate in the rebuilding process of their country through reconciliation, reconstruction, education, re-direction of our young ones, training, and advocacy. We are Mandingos; peace-loving people of Liberia who want to put their house together. This will definitely give us the strength to reach out to our Liberian brothers and sisters in an effort to dialogue and resolve our differences for the good of our country,” said Bility.

Opposition Against Guest speaker Kromah

However, while the conference is heading in the right direction, there are some disagreements about the selection of Professor Kromah as keynote speaker. Despite the unanimous selection of Kromah as guest speaker by the participating organizations, some officials of the LIMAP advisory board have strongly objected to the selection. They have lobbied vehemently to stop Kromah from being the guest speaker. “Kromah is a warlord,” they declared

The conference chair said selection of Kromah was rigorous. At the end of the process, participating Mandingo organizations unanimously selected the University of Liberia professor to serve as the keynote speaker. “Prof. Kromah is a part of the problems in our community, so it’s good that we have invited him so that he would give us some pointers that will help us begin the healing process.”

Bility acknowledged deep-seated disunity among Liberian Mandingos and stated that this conference is an attempt to address those issues. He lamented the disunity, but hoped that the conference will set the tone for Mandingos to see reasons to work together. He added, “We can always disagree to agree on issues, but we should not be enemies.”

In a letter the Bility, the LIMAP advisors strongly declared opposition to Kromah’s selection and made some recommendations in which they provided alternative names for guest speaker. In his response, Bility rejected the recommendations on grounds that the selection was a unanimous decision by all the organizing parties across the US, including LIMAP, and that he has no power to overrule such decision. Others have suggested that even if other speakers were to be added, the timing and planning have advanced to a stage that would not allow for such change.

Bility stressed that there are people who would stop at nothing to disrupt this conference. He said the conference is legally organized and appropriate State and City agencies have been informed about the conference. He cautioned everyone to “put up his or her best behavior during the conference to stay out of trouble. You have all the rights to protest, but, you can not disrupt this convention. They are accusing of us of forming another ULIMO because we invited Alhaji Kromah. Kromah is speaking on a topic that was given to him by organizers; he is not coming here to blow his own horn. I can assure you that they are wrong, and it’s pathetic!”

Olive Branch Extended

The Chair extended an olive branch to those trying to undermine the conference by calling on them to see reasons to join their fellow brothers and sisters in promoting unity in the Mandingo community and Liberia.  

Beneath this all is the high optimism that resolutions and agreements reached at the end of the conference will help ease the tension that is currently brewing in Nimba County among Mandingo, Gio and Mano ethnic groups. “Liberia needs its entire people to move the peace agenda forward, so we Mandingos are going to be part of that process,” said Morris Kromah of Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, the planning committee chair, Talata Sheriff, told FPA the three-day events will be climax with a mini-Olympic soccer encounters of teams from Atlanta, host city Philadelphia, New Jersey and the mid-west represented by Minnesota and Wisconsin. He said a giant trophy is at stake and the team that wins the finals on Sunday, July 1, 2007, will also win the trophy and eventually keeps it for a year. Besides the tournament, there will be a queen contest between the East and Mid-West on Saturday, June 30, 2007, and a grand ball.