I-Liberia Imemezela: Izwe Lokubuya

Monrovia, Liberia – IKomidi Eliqondisayo Leminyaka Eminyakenye lethule isikhumbuzo seminyaka engama-200 yase-Liberia njengezwe futhi lamemezela indikimba nesiqubulo somcimbi weBicentennial. Umcimbi ugujwa unyaka wonke wezi-2022 kusukela ngoJanuwari 7 kuya kuDisemba 10, 2022, ngomcimbi wokuvula ngokusemthethweni uzoba ngoFebhuwari 14, 2022.
ILiberia yasungulwa ngo-1822 ngabantu abakhululekile abavela e-United States of America.

NgokweKomidi Lokuqondisa, isiqubulo sithi “Liberia: The Land of Return – Isikhumbuzo Seminyaka Engama-200 Yenkululeko Nobuholi Bamazwe Ase-Afrika” kuyilapho isiqubulo sithi “The Lone Star Forever, Stronger Together.”

I-Steering Committee ithi lendikimba ikhombisa izigameko ezintathu ezibalulekile zomlando ezizuzwe yizwe kusukela lasungulwa ngo-1822 ngabantu abakhululekile abayinzalo yase-Afrika kanye nabaxhasi babo abavela e-United States.

Okokuqala, indikimba ibungaza i-Liberia, eNtshonalanga Afrika, njengendawo ekhethwe njengendawo yokuphephela abantu abakhululekile abayinzalo yase-Afrika ababekezelele iminyaka eminingi yobugqila e-United States, ukuze bazinze njengezwe labo lokuzalwa. Ngenxa yalokho, ngaphansi kwe-American Colonization Society (ACS), abantu abaningi abakhululekile bemibalabala bathutha besuka e-United States futhi behla e-Providence Island eLiberia ngo-January 7, 1822, njengezwe lakubo.

Okwesibili, indikimba ihlose ukukhumbula inkululeko yabantu abamnyama nobuzwe kanye nokuzimisela kokuzibusa okwaqala eminyakeni engama-200 edlule lapho iLiberia yasungulwa ngo-1822. Ngesikhathi lapho abantu bomdabu base-Afrika babefuna inkululeko nokuzibusa, ukusungulwa kweLiberia. , “iRiphabhulikhi Emnyama,” eyathola inkululeko ngo-1847 yayiwuphawu olucacile lokuthi abantu base-Afrika bayakwazi ukuzibusa.

Okwesithathu, indikimba ihlonipha indima ebaluleke kakhulu yobuholi be-Pan-Africanist eyadlalwa i-Liberia, ngesikhathi ilwela ukuqedwa kobukoloni nokuzimela kwe-Afrika, okuhlanganisa nokungaguquguquki kwayo ngokumelene nokucwasana ngokobuhlanga eNingizimu Afrika okwakwaziwa ngaleso sikhathi ngokuthi Apartheid.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi iLiberia yayizomela ukusungulwa kwezinyunyana zamazwe ngamazwe eZwenikazi lase-Afrika kanye nasemhlabeni jikelele. Okubaluleke kakhulu, kwakuyindima yayo yobuholi be-Pan-Africanist ekuhleleni ingqungquthela yomlando ye-1959 "Sanniquellie Conference" ehlanganisa iLiberia, iGuinea, neGhana eyagcina iholele ekubunjweni kwe-Organisation of African Union (OAU) ngo-1963.

I-Liberia yathatha ubuholi obufanayo be-Pan-Africanist ekubunjweni kwe-African Union (AU), eyalandela i-OAU. Iphinde yajoyina ikhwelo leZwekazi lokwakhiwa kwezinhlangano zezomnotho zesifunda, ezifana ne-Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) kanye neMano River Union.

Futhi kwaba ngomoya ofanayo wePan-Africanism owagqugquzela iLiberia ukuthi ihlanganyele nezinye izizwe ekusekeleni ukubunjwa kwezinhlangano zamazwe ngamazwe, ezihlanganisa iNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene, iBhange Lomhlaba, kanye ne-International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Njengomholi wama-Pan-Africanist, i-Liberia yaba umphathi-mbono nomsunguli weBhange Lokuthuthukiswa Kwase-Afrika ngenkathi leli bhange lisungulwa ngeminyaka yawo-1960 ukuze kukhuthazwe ukubambisana kwezomnotho eZwenikazi lase-Afrika.

Kuyakhumbuleka ukuthi nakuba ubugqila buhlala busemthethweni e-United States kwaze kwaba ngu-1865, imizamo yokuhlaliswa kabusha kwe-ACS yafinyelela umvuthwandaba ekusungulweni kweLiberia yanamuhla eNtshonalanga Afrika ukuze kuthuthelwe abesilisa, abesifazane nezingane abakhululekile abavela e-United States nakwezinye izindawo. abantu bemibala abavela kwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba. Lokhu kwaholela ekuhambeni kweqembu lokuqala labaNsundu abakhululekile abangaba ngu-86 ogwini lwaseNew York ngo-1820.

Ekupheleni kweminyaka yawo-1800, cishe abantu abamnyama abakhululekile abangu-17,000 abavela e-United States naseCaribbean babuyiselwa eLiberia. Abanye abantu bebala babezoqhubeka befuna isiphephelo eLiberia, “izwe lenkululeko.”

Selokhu bafika, lezi zifiki zaqala ukuzibusa eLiberia noJoseph Jenkins Roberts waseVirginia wase-United States esebenza njengowokuqala wase-Afrika waseMelika ukukhethwa njengomongameli wezwe. Kamuva, abanye abantu base-Afrika abayisishiyagalolunye abazalelwa eMelika abavela eMaryland, eNingizimu Carolina, e-Ohio naseKentucky basebenza njengomongameli baseLiberia, le African Republic yokuqala emnyama.

Inhloko-dolobha yaseLiberia iqanjwe ngokuthi iMonrovia ngegama likaJames Monroe, uMongameli wesihlanu wase-United States, umsekeli wokuqina we-ACS futhi ifulegi lezwe liwumfanekiso oyingxenye yefulegi laseMelika ukukhombisa ubudlelwano obuqinile phakathi kwamazwe womabili.

Ukuze kugcinwe futhi kugcinwe isibopho esiqinile sobudlelwano ne-United States of America, izifiki zaqamba iningi lezifunda namadolobha aseLiberia ngamagama amaningana aseMelika, ikakhulukazi iMaryland kanye neMississippi e-Afrika, phakathi kokunye “ukuqhubeka nokulondoloza izibopho zamasiko nezindawo abasuka kuzo e-United States.

Isiqubulo sikhombisa i-Liberia njengezwe le-Lone Star kanye ne-republic yokuqala yabantu abamnyama e-Afrika. Naphezu komlando omubi wezwe wakamuva wezinxushunxushu, iLiberia ibuyise ukuthula nokuzinza futhi isaqinile ndawonye njengesizwe ngokubusa kwentando yeningi. Izwe selibambe ukhetho lwentando yeningi kathathu kulandelana, olwethule uNkk Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf njengomengameli wokuqala wesifazane oqokwe ngokwentando yeningi ezweni nase-Afrika.

Ngo-2017, izwe labona ukudluliswa kwamandla ngentando yeningi kusuka komunye umongameli okhethwe ngentando yeningi kuya komunye lapho uMongameli Sirleaf edlulisela amandla kuMongameli George Manneh Weah ngenxa yomphumela wokhetho lwentando yeningi olukhululekile, olunobulungiswa nolusobala. Lokhu kudluliswa kwamandla kube yingqophamlando ebalulekile izwe elingakayifinyeleli eminyakeni engaphezu kwengama-70.

NgokweKomidi Elilawulayo, indikimba nesiqubulo sakhelwe ukweseka izinjongo zeSikhumbuzo Seminyaka Eyiminyaka Eminyaka, okuwukugubha amagugu acebile aseLiberia; ukukhombisa ezokuvakasha kanye namathuba okutshalwa kwezimali kwezwe; ukuhlanganisa futhi ukuxhuma kabusha abantu base-Afrika baseMelika e-United States kanye nabanye abamnyama abangaphandle kwe-diaspora nobunikazi babo bamasiko e-Liberia.

Inhloso eyinhloko yesikhumbuzo seBicentennial ukuqinisa nobudlelwano obunothile obungokomlando phakathi kwe-United States ne-Liberia kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1800 lapho i-Liberia isungulwa.

Ukuqinisekisa impumelelo yoMgubho Weminyaka Eyikhulu, uMhlonishwa, uMongameli uDkt. George Manneh Weah waseRiphabhulikhi yaseLiberia, ucela bonke abantu baseLiberia, ababambisene basekhaya nabamazwe ngamazwe kanye nemiphakathi ehlala kwamanye amazwe ukuba babambe iqhaza kulo mcimbi oyingqophamlando wokugubha iminyaka engama-200 yasungulwa. ukusungulwa kwezwe ngabantu abakhululekile abavela e-United States nakwezinye izingxenye zomhlaba, kuhlanganise neCaribbean neYurophu; kanye nezinga lenkululeko kanye nobuholi be-Pan-Afrika izwe elibujabulele ngenkathi libonisa izwe njengendawo efanelekile yezokuvakasha nokutshalwa kwezimali.

Amakomidi amancane ahlukahlukene asiza Ikomidi Likazwelonke Elilawulayo lesikhumbuzo seminyaka eyi-Bicentennial liqinisekisa isilinganiso esibandakanya wonke umuntu ukuze kuqinisekiswe impumelelo yomcimbi. UMongameli uhlaba ikhwelo kubo bonke abantu baseLiberia nabangane abakhulu bezwe abavela emhlabeni wonke ukuthi basebenzisane ngokubambisana, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bavumelana ngani kwezenhlalo nezombusazwe, ukuze baqinisekise impumelelo yalo mcimbi ukuze kuzuze izwe lonke.