LIBERIA
First Liberian political cartoonist threatened into leaving his country
(1984)
Harrison Jiedueh
Using the penname, "Black Baby," 26 year-old Liberian cartoonist
Harrison Jiedueh drew a regular feature titled "What did Dr. Owl Say?"
On August 21, 1984, Jiedueh had "Dr. Owl" saying, "When you
see clouds gathering, be prepared to catch rain water." His subtle
political reference, understandable only at the time in the Liberian context,
meant that the head of state, Samuel K. Doe, who had a serious confrontation
with university personnel, would not be expected to come out of this one,
that he had bitten off more than he could chew. Jiedueh, after escaping
to the United States, explained that it would have been too dangerous for
him to stay in Liberia, and that security forces (called "death squads"
by many Liberians) had told him he would face the same fate as a journalist
who was killed a month before. He was advised to seek help to escape Liberia.
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