“Liberia Will Not Decline To War” Minister Paih Says

By Feeme M. Wantee

April 30, 2025

Monrovia: Liberia’s Minister of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism, Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, has issued a strong warning to political figures who he says are stoking unrest and threatening the country’s hard-earned peace.

Addressing recent inflammatory rhetoricly, Piah emphasized that the government will not allow any return to violence or instability. His remarks were directed at former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, whom he accused of making statements that could incite fear and division.

The former vice president is alleged to have suggested that national disorder could arise out of public dissatisfaction with the current administration. “This nation will not be thrown back into war by those seeking power through chaos,” Piah declared. “Liberia has paid too high a price for peace.” Recalling the devastation of Liberia’s brutal civil wars which claimed over a quarter-million lives.

Minister Piah reminded the public of the consequences of conflict, destroyed infrastructure, displaced families, and the collapse of national unity. “Our painful history must not be exploited for political gain,” he said.

He also linked today’s social and economic struggles such as poverty, unemployment, and insecurity to the long-term fallout from those wars.

Piah argued that many of the people now present themselves as democratic champions once benefited from the same chaos they now warn against. “Some of the loudest voices today once prospered while the nation bled,” he said. “To threaten violence again, under the pretense of patriotism, is both dishonest and dangerous.” Painting a vivid picture of past atrocities, checkpoint abuses, mass executions, and entire communities uprooted.

Piah warned that invoking civil conflict as a political tool dishonors the memory of the victims and undermines national healing. He also called on civil society groups and media organizations to act responsibly and uphold their duty to peace and truth. “You cannot promote peace while amplifying those who threaten it,” he cautioned.

Concluding his address, Minister Piah assured Liberians that the government remains committed to maintaining peace and public safety. “We are fully in control and will not tolerate chaos,” he said. “The Liberian people have endured too much. Never again should war be an option.” His statement comes at a time of heightened political tensions and lingering post-election debates, as Liberia continues its path toward recovery and stability. Minister Piah’s message was clear: political discourse must never come at the cost of national peace.