When I reflect on what we as a nation and people have gone through in the last few years, especially between 1990 and 2003, there is a lot to be grateful to God for. The period between 1990 and 2003, inclusively, was hell on earth, at least as far as the lives of Liberians who lived in Liberia during this time go.  

Many things happened during this time. First, it started with a war launched by our great leader, Charles Ghankay Taylor. His war brought untold deaths, destruction, suffering, hunger, fear, hatred, separation of families, displacement, backwardness, and so forth. The situation was even made worse by the coming in of other warmongers and greedy and nefarious individuals, like the main originator of the Period of Suffering and Destruction. Not only these. There were also deep national and international manipulations, complexities and games going on openly and behind the scenes, at the expense of the Liberian people. All these scenarios and many others, put together, caused the Period of Suffering and Destruction to go on for more than ten years. 

Today, we can say that the war has come and gone. That period has ended and, I am confident, it will not return. Liberians are breathing some air of relief. In other words, we have peace. We must do everything to sustain this peace. We must also be thankful to God for this. Every morning, before I knot the strings of my shoes or fasten my belt to go to work, I go on my knees and thank God for His loving-kindness and tender mercies towards us. Every evening before I finally cover my head with a blanket, I do the same. The Lord is worthy to be praised. Thank Goodness the war finished soon. 

The Period of Suffering and Destruction went on for about fourteen years. In other words, it took fourteen years for peace to return to Liberia. That’s a long time. No, I made a mistake. That’s a very short time. I am really happy that the Period of Suffering and Destruction ended so quickly. I thought it would have taken years, but it did not.  

Having said this, there is an important question that we must NEVER fail to ask, as we try to put our lives back together. The question is this: How come Liberians never suffered too much for too long? In other words, why did peace return to Liberia so quickly and easily? The answer is simple. The war and, by extension, the suffering of the Liberian people, ended so quickly and easily because of the many peace initiatives undertaken by Charles Ghankay Taylor, the man who has come to be recognized as the Man of Peace. This is another reason why I, along with most Liberians, love the man called Charles Ghankay Taylor.  

I have heard over and over and again that there are those who believe that Taylor exhibited anti-peace tendencies on numerous occasions during the Period of Suffering and Destruction; that is, they assert that he hated peace. This is one of the falsest allegations I have ever heard against Taylor. I am convinced that no one, absolutely no one, not even an institution, can prove that Taylor ever exhibited any anti-peace attitude. Most Liberians, including me, who know Taylor better know that Taylor was (and is) a peace lover and promoter. The records are there to prove. That’s why I will get extremely angry with anyone, including my own parents or siblings, who say that Taylor was against peace in Liberia. 

At this point, also, let me emphasize that those who allege that Taylor is a hater of peace are lucky that I don’t know them, because the day I get to know them, I will definitely take them to court. No amount of begging will circumvent me from prosecuting them on behalf of Taylor. And I mean it! Those who know me, know that I don’t joke with such things. If they know what I know, let them desist from this utter nonsense. Period! 

There is too much evidence to prove that, indeed, Taylor is a man of peace. This is one major reason why I, along with many other Liberians, like Taylor very much. How I wish time and space were in my favor. I would like to present scores of examples to prove that Taylor, and no one else, is considered the Man of Peace. Because of the lack of space and time, which are usual impediments to my purpose, I will only give six reasons why I believe Taylor is recognized as the Man of Peace: 

1. When the Liberian Civil War, which began on 24 December 1989, intensified between March and June of 1990, the Inter-Faith Mediation Committee decided to initiate a peace conference between Taylor and President Doe; however, Taylor refused and said that the solution to the problem was for Doe to resign and flee the country. Everyone knows that this was a realistic call for the quick attainment of peace. Imagine Doe telling the Inter-Faith Mediation Committee that the only way he would talk with the NPFL would be for Taylor to resign as head of the NPFL and go back to jail in Massachusetts. Or, still, imagine George Boley of LPC, or Kromah of ULIMO, saying that the only way they would agree to any peace initiative would be for Taylor to flee Gbarnga. Can anyone in his right mind contend that Taylor’s statement that Doe resign and flee Liberia before any talking was anti-peace? Absolutely not! In fact, this helped to solve the Liberian nightmare quickly.
    
2. In 1990, when the international community realized that the Doe government had collapsed, an arrangement was made for the formation of an interim government of national unity, so as to broker peace among the belligerent groups and unify the country. Realizing the inevitability of such a government, Taylor remarked, “There will be no interim government that I will not be the head of.” This particular statement, along with the correspondingly consummating actions taken by Taylor, was one of the main reasons why the Liberian Civil War ended so quickly. That’s why I can’t help but get angry with those who argue that Charles Ghankay Taylor was against peace. They are dead wrong!
    
3. Again, in 1990, when the war had caused a complete breakdown of law and order in Liberia – Do was no longer in control, all factions were committing atrocities, the Liberian people were suffering too much, and so forth – our West-African brothers saw the need to end our nightmare by forming a peace-keeping force known and styled as ECOMOG (Economic Community Monitoring Group). Upon hearing this, Charles Ghankay Taylor, in July of 1990, said something that was very much in the interest of peace. He said, “We will attack any foreign force that lands on our soil.” To put his words into action, Taylor ferociously attacked the peace-keeping force on the high sea, even before they could land. Taylor did not stop there; he insulted ECOMOG with both words and deeds. He described them as forces of occupation and aggression. He even went to the extent of calling the Commander of ECOMOG (Gen Joshua Dogonyaro) as that Dog – gone –yaro. I hate to hear people telling me that Taylor was anti-peace because, if the Man of Peace – I mean, Taylor – had not done all these things, the war wouldn’t have ended so quickly. I am not contending that Taylor doesn’t have any “buts,” but, at least, we all must continue to praise him for all the pro-peace initiatives taken by him, like the one mentioned here.
    
4. In the same 1990, when the Interim Government of National Unity was formed, it was agreed that it was only an ad hoc political framework aimed at solving the Liberian problems, and representatives of the NPFL were to be included. Based on this, Taylor’s NPFL was offered six seats, including the position of the speaker of the Interim Legislative Assembly of the government (ILA). The work of the Interim Government was stalled in some ways for some time, as it had to afford Taylor and his group the opportunity to submit a list of potential candidates to serve in the government. This was not done. Taylor refused the gesture, opposed and frustrated the effort of peace, all because he had earlier said that there would be no interim government in which he was not the head. In fact, Taylor argued that his rejection of the government stemmed from the fact that it was formed outside of Liberia. Therefore, to help end the war easily and quickly, Taylor went ahead and setup a de facto government in Gbarnga to compete with the government formed and recognized by the international community. No one needs an extra degree of perspicacity to fathom that all these things were in the interest of peace. Only an ignorant and crazy person will argue that Taylor was against peace.
    
5. In June of 1991, Taylor remarked that the only way he would join, or, better, recognize the government, would be for him to be offered the Defense Ministry position. Some funny people may want to ask why Taylor, a rebel leader who desired the leadership of the country by the barrel of the gun, would want to demand the Defense Ministry of a country in war. This question makes no sense whatsoever, so I will not comment on it. All that I know is that Taylor did it to bring peace to Liberia quickly. This is why the war didn’t last long. And we must commend him for this, no matter what.
    
6. On February 22, 1991, it was reported in the Inquirer newspaper that Charles Taylor was training some 700 dissidents to destabilize some West African countries. This was false, and it’s still false. Why do I say this? The answer is as simple as the evidence, because a few months later, it was discovered that Taylor had trained and sent fighters to Sierra Leone to depose President Joseph Saidu Momoh and institute anarchy. Most of us know the rest of the story. Moreover, it is an open secret that President Alhaji Sir Dauda Kariba Jawara of the Gambia was deposed in a coup d’etat in 1994 through the help of some military top-wigs of Taylor’s NPFL. Will any individual who is in his right mind say that Taylor exhibited anti-peace tendencies? No way! Taylor is a man of peace, and all peace-loving Liberians and non-Liberians must praise and respect him for this.

After writing this article, I took my laptop with me to the living room, sat on the sofa and began the process of proofreading. It was then that one of my Liberian brothers appeared. 

“Da you again, ehn?” he started.

“Wha’ happen’ again?” I questioned.

“De pee-poo say da you say and wri’e only stupid thin’.” He tried to explain.

“Maybe da true. But you na know dat some pee-poo may consider somethin’ stupid, and  other pee-poo may consider de same thin’ sensible? You na know?” I asked rhetorically. 

“So, wha’ will you do?” he asked.

“ ‘bout wha’?” I questioned again.

“ ‘bout yor writin’ because some people, includin’ book pee-poo, don’t understan’ yor style and techniques of writin’ and you have to do somethin’ ‘bout it.” He warned.

“OK, you think I should stop writin’ like dis?” I enquired.

“No, no. Don’t stop. Plenty pee-poo like it. Da na yor fault dat some pee-poo’s comprehension and analytical power is weak.” He cautioned. 

Upon making his last point, my Liberian brother sat next to me, looked at me for a few seconds, sighed and shook his head. After a while, he went to the kitchen, took a slice of bread, a teaspoon and a jar of honey and came back to the living room. He put enough of the honey on the bread, and he began to eat. I laughed and continued my proofreading. 

For now, allow me to rest my pen for the next article.