Uganda Rural Community Support USA

A local based Lone Star, under the watchful eyes of
Technical Director, George Weah and coaches Vava George and Frank
Jerico Nagbe, on Tuesday of week whipped Mighty Barrolle, 2-1, in a
practice match played at the SKD Sports Complex.

Barrolle went ahead in the first half from a penalty, while Isaac
Tondo found the equalizer for Lone Star. Tondo later scored the
winner in the second half.

Lone Star was in another practice match against an LFA All-Star team
when this paper went to press.

Meanwhile, more professional players have arrived in the country.
Those who joined Weah, Kelvin and Frank Seator on Tuesday were James
Debbah, Louis Crayton, George Gebro, Varmah Kpoto and Musa Shannon.

Those that were expected in the country yesterday were Joe Nagbe,
Christopher Wreh, Alex Browne, Oliver Makor, Zizi Roberts and Edward
Zico Dixon.

In three days, the national football team, the Lone Star,
will engage her Mauritian counterparts in the first round of
qualifying matches in the group stage for the African Nations Cup
finals.

For our many readers and sports lovers in general, we like to bring
you a brief profile of the nation of Mauritius and its people.
Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean, 500 miles East of
Madagascar.

Madagascar are their nearest neighbor. It is a volcanic island nearly
surrounded by coral reefs. A central plateau is encircled by mountain
peeks.

Its capital city is Port Louis with a population estimate of 145,584.
The entire country population is estimated at 1,166.256.

Mauritius has a Republic form of government with a head of state who
is President Cassam Uteem. The head of government is Prime Minister
Navin Ramgoolam Mauritians use the Rupee as their currency which is
exchanged at 24.60 to US$1.00.

As far as communications are concerned, telephone is used at the
ratio of 1 to 7.5 persons. The principal languages spoken are English
(official), French, Creole, Hindi, Bojpoori.

The chief religions are Hindu 52%, Christian 28% and Muslim 17 %.

Now with this brief insight on Mauritius and its people, we like to
give you a synopsis of their sporting history.

As far as African and world football is concerned, Mauritius is not
household name, but are noted for putting up tough challenges against
its opponents in competitions. They are known as the ISLANDERS.

The best people who could tell us about Mauritian football might are
the South Africans. The South Africans have played Mauritius on
series of occasions and were given their money’s worth.

In the preliminary stage of the Mali 2002 African Nations Cup finals,
Mauritius proved to Africa and the world that they are gradually
learning and becoming a force. The Indian Ocean island country
knocked out Taifa Stars of Tanzania, 4-2 on aggregate, after having
won the first and second legs 0-1 and 2-3 respectively. The first leg
was played in Dar es Salem while the second leg was played in Port
Louis.

As far as the July FIFA world’s ranking is concerned, Mauritius is
ranked 118th, while Liberia is ranked 105th.

The game on Sunday should not be overlooked as the Mauritians are
noted for putting up tough performances, with South Africa,
Madagascar, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe serving as witnesses.

Some of their top players include Sebastian Bax, Tony Fra and
Christopher Perle. There are other players who are very good as well.

It was Mauritius that hosted the U-17 Championship in 1993 that saw
Taribo West emerging as a star defender. This shows that Mauritius is
a football nation in disguise. We hope this will serve as a guide to
Liberians as the Lone Star takes on the Islanders of Mauritius on
September 3, 2000 at the SKD Sports in Paynesville.

Meanwhile, the Mauritians are expected in the country today. It was
not known up to press time the size of the delegation.

Today, August 31, marks the end of the National Month of
Reconciliation. In a proclamation dated August 2, 2000, President
Charles Taylor urged the Liberian people to reconcile their
differences and unite for the betterment of the country.

The Liberian Leader also to initiate programs that would to
reconciliation.

AS WE END the month of reconciliation for this year, it will do us
well to recount the successes we made, as a people, in ensuring that
the purpose of the proclamation is realized.

Without Looking Too far behind, we are reminded of the recent
observation made by former interim President, Dr. Amos Sawyer that a
clear-cut reconciliatory policy is yet to evolved by this government.

However, Dr. Sawyer’s comment did not go down well with the Chairman
of the NPP, Mr. Cyril Allen as a result of which both men have been
exchanging harsh words.President Amos Sawyer, that national
reconciliation is not at the will and pleasure of individuals, where
it can be offered or withdrawn as the circumstances dictate.

Also During The month of reconciliation, we saw the heightening of
tension between government forces and a dissident group calling
itself “Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy,” quite
contrary to the spirit and intents of the reconciliatory gestures put
forth for the month of reconciliation.

WE ARE ALSO drawn to the tense relationship between the government
and important members of the international community as well as
countries in the subregion, owing to accusations about Liberia’s role
in the crisis in Sierra Leone.

Such Episodes Were certainly not in consonance with the purpose for
which the Month of Reconciliation was set aside.

However The Vices which featured prominently during the month, our
hope for lasting peace and reconciliation remains undaunted. The
desire to live in freedom, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness is
still prominent among the dreams of all Liberians.

As Such, It devolves upon us Liberians (whether as the common
pedestrians, the clergy, students, politicians, marketeers, officials
of government, or what have you) to challenge ourselves to
maintaining the peace we achieved after several years of
confrontation and bloodletting.

This Can Be realized if we ensure mutual respect for each and every
other Liberian, irrespective of our ideological, religious or ethnic
backgrounds.

We must consider every other person, firstly as a Liberian and accord
the fellow Liberian the privileges and rights reserved for Liberians
in accordance with the constitution and statutes of the land.

Also In Line with this call to reconciliation, we must take heed of
our relationship with neighboring countries and the international
community, at large, bearing in mind that a nation’s vital interests
are best served through a policy of good neighborliness.

We Must Be mindful that life in the world of today is tied in with
the universal concept of interdependence, wherein no one state or
person can make it all on its own.

As We Conclude this month of national reconciliation, we must be
guided by the principles of mutual respect, the due process of law,
accountability and other positive values that will save this country
from returning to the depths that we reached during the war years.

The Elections Commission (ECOM) has begun visiting offices
of the 17 registered political parties. But sources say, the
commission is finding it difficult to locate the offices of some
parties.

According to ECOM’s schedule of visitation to the headquarters of
duly registered political parties, the offices of the ruling National
Patriotic Party (NPP), Reformation Alliance Party (RAP) and the True
Whig Party (TWP) were visited on Monday.

The offices of the People’s Democratic Party of Liberia (PDPL),
Liberia Action Party (LAP) and that of the former ruling National
Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) were scheduled to have been
visited yesterday.

Unity Party (UP), Liberia People’s Party (LPP) and the offices of the
Liberia National Union (LINU) are set for tomorrow’s visit.

ECOM’s letter to each of the party about the visit said the exercise
is in line with section 1, of the Guidelines and Regulation relating
to the formation and registration of political parties in Liberia.

In the letter, ECOM said during the visit discussions will be held
with designated representatives to gather five pertinent pieces of
information about the parties.

The information, according to ECOM, includes changes in the name of
banking institutions with which the parties maintain their accounts
and additional or new accounts opened since the parties’ last
submission.

Other information needed include changes in the name of party
officials upon whose signatures funds are withdrawn and changes in
the address of party headquarters, leaderships and such other things
as box number, telephone numbers, among others.

Additionally, ECOM says it requested the submission of summary
reports of financial activities since the 1997 presidential and
legislative elections.

This is consistent with sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4 of the elections
laws.

The letter signed by ECOM’s Chairman, Cllr. Paul N. Guah, warned the
respective political parties that “your failure to comply shall leave
the commission with no alternative, but to take the necessary action
as the law provides.”

However, a source said the ECOM team has embarked on a scheme of
finding members of these parties at their places of work in order to
give them the visitation letter since their offices cannot be located
for now.

“If this effort fails, then these political parties will be invited
to the commission’s headquarters for a conference,” the source said.

Meanwhile the headquarters of the United People’s Party (UPP),
Liberia Unification Party (LUP) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP)
will be visited on September 4.

On September 6 the headquarters of the All Liberian Coalition Party
(ALCOP), the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and the Labor Party of
Liberia (LPL) will play host to the ECOM team.

The headquarters of the National Reformation Party (NRP) and the
Liberia Equal Rights Party (LERP) are the last to be visited on
September 8, according to ECOM’s schedule.

A bridge, which is being built by the government of the
Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan, is expected to be commissioned
next year.

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian disclosed this Monday at a news
conference in Taipei, following a 13-day trip of “Democracy,
Diplomacy and Friendship” to the Caribbean, Central America and
Africa.

According to President Chen’s statement, provided by the Taiwanese
Embassy near Monrovia, the bridge will make life easier for the
people of Chad who have been divided into north and south over the
last 40 years by a river. The value of the bridge was not mentioned.

The ROC President quoted Chadian President Idriss Deby as saying,
“Taiwan bridge not only connects south and north Chad, but also Chad
and Taiwan. It is a bridge of friendship between Chad and the ROC.”

Further, President Chen said he had breakfast with eight of his
country’s ambassadors stationed in Africa and told them that, “You
are like eight farers crossing the sea.”

“You eight farers crossed the South China Sea and then the Indian
Ocean to Africa. As frontline members of the diplomatic corps, you
are the greatest and have made wonderful contributions to your
nation,” the President said. Each of the diplomats were later awarded
medals.

Meanwhile, President Chen told the press that Taiwan, as a member of
the international community, “. . . is great in its own way, and
every people is indispensable.”

He also said that everyone is equal and important. “In today’s world,
despite such differences as skin color or the level of development,
all countries are important and equally worthy of respect.”

According to the ROC Chief Executive, during the trip “we did not
only proclaim our country’s sovereignty and consolidate friendship
with our diplomatic allies, but also put Taiwan on the world stage.”

The Taiwanese leader, among other things, said “We want to see the
whole world and let the whole world see the Republic of China and the
democratic achievements and economic prosperity resulting from
several decades of effort by the 23 million people of Taiwan.”

President Chen visited the Gambia, Burkina-Faso and Chad in Africa,
as well as other countries in the Caribbean and Central America.

The Secretary General of the Liberia Women Initiative
(LWI), Mrs. Etweda Cooper, says her organization is campaigning to
ensure that women occupy at least 30 percent of key public offices by
the year 2003.

According to her, Liberian women are being considered “door mats” and
care takers of homes. Mrs. Cooper observes that less than 5 percent
of women are represented in government.

In an interview with this paper yesterday, Mrs. Cooper asserted that
women are worth more than their sexual identities and have the
ability to compete with men in society.

The LWI Executive however regretted that women have for too long
remained insensitive to their rights and abilities, a situation she
blamed on the society for its lack of support for women empowerment.

Mrs. Cooper emphasized that the nation must invest more in the
education and development of women in order to realize speedy
development.

She noted that women have been the backbone in upholding the fabric
of society and that genuine support for them is most needed in the
reconstruction of the nation.

Madam Cooper also pointed out that reconstruction depends on
reconciliation and added, “it cannot be achieved without the full
participation of women who are true advocates of peace and
democracy.”

Speaking further, she urged women, especially young girls, to use
difficult circumstances as the stepping stones for higher goals in
their fight for gender equity.

Mrs. Cooper admonished young women against becoming wayward in the
face of poverty.

She challenged young women not to have low self-esteem and give up
hope in whatever situation saying, “We determine our own destiny.”

President Charles Taylor has been
commended for releasing the four foreign journalists who were
arrested and detained on charges of espionage recently.

The commendation was made yesterday by the Stipendiary Magistrate of
the New Kru Town Magisterial Court, Peter T.K. Gonsahn, in an
interview with this paper.

He said the decision taken by the Liberian leader to release the four
foreign journalists is an indication that he is willing and prepared
for reconciliation, reunification and resettlement following the
civil war.

He urged both local and international journalists to be more
professional in the performance of their duties in an effort to stop
confrontation between journalists and the government.

According to him, “government’s national development programs cannot
be fully implemented if journalists are engaged in unprofessional
reporting that has the potential to destroy the nation.”

Meanwhile, Magistrate Gonsahn, who is also the former Secretary
General of the Council of Chiefs, Elders and Zoes, says the time has
come for journalists to disseminate factual information and avoid
fabricating for self-gain.

Mr. Gonsahn, who once served as Nimba County Representative in the
defunct National Patriotic Reconstruction Assembly (NPRAG) said the
reconstruction of Liberia will not be complete if Liberians do not
desist from cheap propaganda and destructive criticisms.

Citizens of Careysburg District, Montserrado County, have
appealed to Vice President Moses Blah to prevail on the Libyan
Government to renovate more schools in their district. The call was
made yesterday at the Capitol when the citizens presented gift items
to the Vice President for his ascendancy to that high office.

They also drew attention to his previous assistance to the district.
Speaking on behalf of the citizens, Montserrado County Representative
Cornelius Porte recalled that the first school renovated by the
Libyans was in Careysburg District and was done through the influence
of Vice President Blah, during his tenure as Ambassador to that
country.

Rep. Porte pointed out that there are more schools in Careysburg that
need to be renovated.

“Although you are not in Libya, you still have influence there,” he
said.

The Libya government, through its Embassy near Monrovia, recently
turned over a school building that was renovated for the people of
Careysburg.

Rep. Porte later presented a gift of the Holy Bible to the Vice
President on behalf of the people of the district and hoped that it
will be used as a guide in his endeavors. The citizens of Careysburg
also presented to the Vice President a handmade quilt made by women
of the district.

Receiving the gift, Vice President Blah expressed gratitude to the
citizens for remembering him.

“If I could describe this gift, I think it is the only gift I need
because this Bible will be my guide for which I pray to God for
wisdom and to lead me in the right direction,” Veep Blah said.

Mr. Blah promised to visit Careysburg District to discuss the
problems affecting the people.

He said his office will always be opened to discuss issues of
national interest.

The Vai Town murder trial involving four suspects resumed
yesterday at the Criminal Court “A” in Monrovia with the prosecuting
attorneys withdrawing a motion of recuse they filed against the then
presiding judge, Joseph W. Andrews.

Four years ago, one Haji Konneh was allegedly murdered by a group of
individuals in a land dispute in Vai Town, Bushrod Island. When the
case was first tried, suspects Johnny Kiadii, Rudolph Johnson, Prince
Massaquoi and John Dester were found guilty by 14 of the 15 empaneled
jurors.

As a result of the split verdict, Judge Andrews ruled that the case
be retried.

However, the prosecuting attorneys filed a motion to recuse Judge
Andrews from retrying the case. They cited lack of confidence in the
judge as reason for their motion of recuse.

Coincidentally, at the start of the current term of court, Judge
Andrews was transferred from Criminal Court “A” to “C”.

In view of the transfer, the prosecuting lawyers yesterday withdrew
their motion of recuse to allow the new presiding judge, Timothy Z.
Swope, proceed with the retrial.

Upon the acceptance of the prosecuting lawyers’ submission of
withdrawal, the lawyers representing the suspects asked the court to
continue the case next Monday, September 4.

The prosecuting lawyers interposed no objection and Judge Swope
granted the request to reschedule the case for next Monday. The
prosecution counsel comprises Counsellors Blamo Dixon, Richard F.
Mcfarland, among others, while the defendants are being represented
by a team of criminal lawyers including Counsellors Emmanuel Mabande,
Manston J. Manley, Frederick A.B. Jayweh, among others.

Armed dissidents fighting government troops are reported
to be entrapped in the provincial city of Voinjama, in the north west
of the country.

The dissidents were entrapped after they took control of Voinjama
following a fierce gun battle in Lofa County.

A BBC correspondent, reporting from Kolahun, Lofa County yesterday,
quoted front line commanders as admitting that Voinjama is largely
controlled by the dissidents.

He said government forces are operating from the suburbs of Voinjama
and that the dissidents are in the city center.

The BBC correspondent also quoted the front line commanders as saying
that they are entrapping the rebels to stop them from advancing or
retreating.

The correspondent said he saw government troops in high spirit,
chanting and singing that they were tired with the “nonsense” and
were going to deal with the rebels.

The correspondent said military commanders had assured them that
government forces were in control of Zorzor, but had not gone there
to confirm the assurances given by the military men.

On Tuesday, the rebels claimed that they had captured Zorzor, near
the borders with neighboring Guinea.

Rebel spokesman Joe Wylie claimed on the BBC that a battalion of his
militia, known as “wild dogs” captured Zorzor five days ago and were
heading toward a bridge in Gbalatuah and surrounding areas in central
Liberia.

However, Information Minister Joe Mulbah vehemently refuted the
claims by the rebels as “false and empty”, saying that Zorzor is
firmly under the control of government security forces.

Minister Mulbah also denied the rebels’ claims that people were
fleeing Zorzor. He described Zorzor as calm and that the inhabitants
were carrying out normal activities.

The BBC correspondent yesterday said military commanders have been in
touch with their men in Zorzor and there are indications that
government forces are in control of Zorzor.

The journalists were to ascertain the extent of the fighting, but up
to yesterday, the BBC correspondent said the helicopter that should
have taken them to Voinjama or close to Voinjama had not arrived.

He said attempts were made to travel by road, but the deplorable
condition of the road stalled their travel.

It is not known how many journalists were taken to Lofa County by
government, however, no reporter from The NEWS was included on the
trip, despite pleas from our reporters. No reason has so far been
given for the decision.

Rebels attacked Voinjama in July in a cross border raid from Guinea.