Title: Liberia Fighting Affects Lutherans
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
April 15, 1996
LIBERIA FIGHTING AFFECTS LUTHERANS
Heavy fighting in Monrovia, Liberia, that began during the Easter
weekend has affected the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) and
missionary staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). Several of the warring factions which have been part of
the interim government installed last September began fighting,
causing many casualties and heavy loss of property. The Lutheran
compound in Monrovia, site of the offices and homes of Lutheran
Church in Liberia staff and the offices of Lutheran World
Federation (LWF), was heavily looted. The homes of LWF senior
staff, not within the compound, were also looted. The renewed
fighting began when an attempt was made to arrest one of the
faction leaders, Roosevelt Johnson, barricaded in his home six
blocks from the Lutheran compound. Johnson had been accused of
murder by the transitional ruling Council of State. Heavy
exchange of fire resulted and thousands of people fled their
homes. Evacuation of many expatriates in Monrovia is underway.
ELCA missionaries Deanna Isaacson and Bette McCrandall live in
apartments in the Lutheran compound. Foreign personnel,
including McCrandall, were moved to a safer location at the
compound of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) and evacuated April 13 to Senegal. Isaacson is at Phebe
Hospital, 120 miles from Monrovia where she was celebrating
Easter. LCL Bishop Sumoward Harris was in Denmark on a speaking
tour. LCL Bishop Emeritus Ronald Diggs is presumed to be at his
home which is not on the Lutheran compound. He has been active
in the Interfaith Mediation Council which sought to reconcile
differences among the interim government's leaders. Statements
made by Diggs and the council recently resulted in Diggs'
temporary arrest. Dr. Walter Gwenigale, Phebe Hospital
administrator, is not in the country.
For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia
Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956
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