Tribal divisions

This poster is on the wall of the hotel, depicting the recognised ethnic groups within Liberia. During the civil war the hostilities between several of these groups reached disastrous proportions and the details don't bear thinking about.

I hung out with some young Liberian movers and shakers; elites working for USAID, international engineering firms or as fashion designers learning their craft via YouTube.

They were all very politically engaged and connected to various degrees. I was surprised how much the war came up in conversation (one comment referenced a stuttering aircon unit as being reminiscent of wartime gunfire), and it's dawning on me that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whilst winning a Nobel Peace Prize and being applauded by the world for staving off further conflicts, is less well regarded by Liberians than outsiders.

Two were planning a hedonistic weekend to Lagos and bemoaning Monrovia's lack of dynamism. Comments fluctuated between fierce pride at being Liberian to despairing at the quality of life. Which they're referring to as upper middle class Liberians, as the quality of life for the poor masses is probably pretty much the same across West Africa. It sounds like pre-Ebola Monrovia in 2013 had more energy, but that the crisis whipped the rug out from under the country, and caused the deaths of several thousand. One of the guys said he paid $1600 to evacuate on a flight to Accra in Ghana, which shows how money talked when the crisis hit. The normal price for a seat is around $100.

I was the misfit in the corner, sipping a Sprite, lapping up the stuff on Liberian politics but being disinterested in the latest rooftop gathering or newest cocktail lounge in Lagos, which is by all accounts a fairly overwhelming place. I'd love to experience it, but not via slinking in glitzy bars.