Liberia celebrates 200 years

View of the West Point neighborhood in Monrovia, Liberia.

JOHN WESSELS AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Liberia celebrated this Monday, February 14, the 200th anniversary of its existence.

The country hosted several foreign leaders and dignitaries to commemorate the arrival, two centuries ago to the day, of the first freed slaves from the United States.

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Marching bands and traditional dances punctuated the day at the overcrowded Samuel Doe Stadium in Monrovia.

Liberians flocked there to take part in the festivities.

Among the guests, the presidents of Gambia, Niger and Togo as well as representatives of Nigeria, Gabon and the United States.

A historic moment, according to President George Weah who opened the bicentennial ceremony.

Today we commemorate 200 years since the beginning of our journey to become a sovereign state, and ultimately the first African country to be established as an independent nation

 ."

When the first free American slaves arrived in 1822 in this territory which would be called Monrovia, relations with the local populations were immediately complicated.

They will be at the origin of the

two civil wars which will cause some 250,000 deaths

.

Today, it is on national unity that President George Weah wanted to insist. 

“ 

We must focus on promoting unity among all Liberians and encourage everyone to make meaningful contributions to building our nation,

” he said.

I believe that our ancestors will look back on today's Liberia with pride and satisfaction, seeing their dreams come true.

 »

But the reality is very different.

Liberia, a country of about 5 million people on the Atlantic coast, remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

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