A riot in Liberia

"A big holler holler, but it will not last," said my 27-year-old driver, a skinny kid named PYJ in honor of former rebel leader and current senator Prince Yormie Johnson. He was commenting on the riot on the eve of the second-round election in Liberia, which incumbent Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is guaranteed to win. The opposition party CDC unexpectedly withdrew from the vote last week amid vague claims of fraud, seemingly unable or unwilling to provide proof for its allegations. There are rumors the opposition has run out of money; most people think they are trying to save face by pulling out, which has the added advantage of undermining Ellen's credibility. "CDC running from defeat," as a newspaper said.



Yesterday the opposition mobilized hundreds of kids to block a main highway in the capital under the pretense of holding a peaceful rally in protest at the electoral process -- polls that have cost the international community tens of millions of dollars. When some kids began hurling stones at the police, the overly well-equipped police force nearly disintegrated into chaos, ignoring commands from their superiors and running this way and that. I saw a guy using his teargas rifle like a Liberian rebel uses a Kalashnikov: he ran towards the crowd carrying his gun at the hip, firing tear gas grenades in quick succession as if they were bullets, and yelling a strange battle cry whose words I could not make out. Now there are rumors that several people died -- word on the street puts the death toll at seven, although so far nobody has been able to produce a body. As a consequence, many opposition supporters, angry about what happened yesterday, are staying away from the vote. It's both a childish and a very cynical game called African politics.