MONROVIA, LIBERIA-President George Weah has, in the strongest term, condemned the July 26 violence involving the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC)-Council of Patriots (COP) and the Student Unification Party (SUP) of the University of Liberia.
President Weah has also instructed the Justice Ministry and all security apparatus to begin immediate arrest of those who staged the violence for onward investigation.
In a nationwide address Monday, August 1, 2022, the Liberian Leader said violence, as stressed in all his public engagements, is unacceptable.
He said:” Those claiming to love me or follow my political ideology cannot do so through violence, but work to maintain the hard-earned peace the country now enjoys.”
President Weah also stated that as a founding father of the CDC, there is no group within the party named and styled CDC-COP.
According to him, those joining the CDC automatically become CDC partisans of peace, democracy and development.
Meanwhile, the Liberian Government said it will underwrite the medical bills of those who sustained injuries during the violence, adding that the Health Minister has been instructed that those injured get the best possible medical treatment at the expense of Government.
Though the number of people injured during the violence cannot independently be verified, video footage shows a member of the University of Liberia student based SUP, Christopher Sivili, being badly tortured, thus sustaining serious bodily wounds in the process.
President Weah then said Liberia remains a country of law, stressing that violence should never be encouraged, despite political differences.