By Boima J.V.Boima

Photo on Flickr by JohnConnell

Information emanating from the provincial city of Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County in Liberia has revealed a rift in the community: While some members of the community consider Charles Julu, a former general in Samuel Kanyon Doe’s army, a hero, other prominent members of the community boycotted his funeral service.

The late General Julu, or “The devil” as he was fondly called during the country’s bloody war, served as a commander of the Executive Manson Guard during the tyrannical reign of his kinsmen Doe. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that Julu should be prosecuted for committing atrocities during the country’s 14-year  conflict.

Julu has been accused of murdering many Liberians during the war as well as burying children alive in wells.

According to the report, several people, including the county Legislative Caucus, former House Speaker, George Dweh, former President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate, Isaac Nyenabo, Transportation Minister, Alphanso Gaye, former Transportation Minister, Jackson E. Doe, Rep. Zoe Pennue, Thomas Yaya Nimely, Joe Gbala, and other prominent sons and daughters of Grand Gedeh failed to turn out for the funeral services of the late Gen. Julu, who had stood up for his kinsmen over the years.

Liberian journalist Octavin Williams, who spoke to the Ceasefire team from the county on Oct. 28, said that the funeral service of Gen. Julu was poorly attended by citizens of Grand Gedeh County.

“Among the many prominent Grand Gedean’s in government, only the Superintendent of the County, Chris Bailey was present at the funeral in spite of the fact that the gazette should have been read by a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Journalist Williams said.

Superintendent Bailey has meanwhile expressed disappointment over the refusal of prominent Grand Gedeans to attend the funeral services of their kinsman, adding that the  late Julu was a hero of the Krahn people who stood firmly for their plights.

He then described the day as a sad day for the people of Grand Gedeh County and called on the citizens to unite. Bailey challenged his kinsmen to foster peace and genuine reconciliation amongst the people of the county.

Following the climax of the war and the election of Africa’s first female leader, President Ellen-Johson Sirleaf, Julu was arraigned by the government on the charges of treason but was acquitted after several months of legal battle.

Charles Julu was born on April 10, 1964 and died on Sept. 24 of this year in the Ivory Coast.