MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Former Commissioner of the now-defunct Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), John Stewart, has sparked widespread controversy with allegations linking former President George Manneh Weah to the rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL). Stewart made the claims in a Facebook post on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, citing what he described as “informed sources.”
According to Stewart, Weah played a pivotal role in introducing MODEL’s leadership to Ivorian football star Didier Drogba, a close associate of then-Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo. Drogba, Stewart claimed, facilitated Gbagbo’s support for MODEL, a group aligned with the Liberians United for Reconstruction and Democracy (LURD). At the time, Gbagbo faced mounting challenges from internal rebels and external threats, including forces loyal to former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
Stewart outlined a complex web of alliances, stating that MODEL sought Gbagbo’s assistance to establish an eastern front against Taylor’s regime. This strategy, Stewart alleged, complemented LURD’s incursions from Guinea, which were supported by U.S. military logistics. He asserted that the coordinated efforts between MODEL, LURD, and Gbagbo’s government were aimed at weakening Taylor’s grip on power through multi-front assaults.
“This is not a new revelation but rather a matter of record among those with knowledge of events during that period,” Stewart wrote. He recounted the tense atmosphere in 2003 when many Monrovia residents fled to perceived safe zones such as Harbel and the Firestone plantation. Meanwhile, MODEL advanced toward Buchanan, heightening fears that key areas, including Roberts International Airport, could fall into rebel hands.
Stewart also revisited the peace talks held in Accra, Ghana, in mid-2003. These negotiations, attended by Taylor, were overshadowed by an unsealed indictment against Taylor for war crimes. However, Taylor was allowed to return to Liberia, further complicating the situation. Around the same time, Nigerian peacekeepers intercepted a shipment of arms allegedly intended for rebel forces, adding to the tension surrounding the conflict.
Central to Stewart’s claims is the accusation that Weah helped secure Gbagbo’s military backing for MODEL. The allegations align with long-standing claims from figures like Representative Yekeh Kolubah, who has repeatedly accused Weah of ties to rebel factions. Stewart, drawing on his experience as a United Nations Field Security Officer overseeing Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DDRR) camps, noted that heavy weapons used by MODEL were conspicuously absent from the disarmament process. Among these was a notorious artillery weapon nicknamed the “Turtle,” which, according to Stewart, was never accounted for at DDRR sites near Harper.
In his post, Stewart said he felt compelled to address persistent inquiries regarding Weah’s alleged involvement with MODEL. His statements have reignited debates about the roles of various political figures during Liberia’s civil conflict and their accountability for actions that shaped the country’s troubled history.
