KAKATA, Margibi County – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, has issued a strong call for unity among Kpelle-speaking people across Liberia, warning that continued internal divisions within the country’s largest ethnic group could negatively affect national peace, stability, and development.
Speaking Saturday at the National Kpelle Unification Day celebration in Kakata, Margibi County, Dr. Yarkpawolo declared that Liberia cannot fully prosper if the Kpelle people remain fragmented along county, political, and social lines.
“If the Kpelle people are divided, Liberia feels it. If we are united, Liberia benefits,” Yarkpawolo warned during a powerful keynote address delivered before traditional leaders, government officials, youth groups, women organizations, and cultural representatives from across the country.
The EPA Executive Director spoke under the theme, “Kpelle Unity for Cultural Renewal, Peace, Development, and National Progress.”
‘The Largest Must Also Be Peaceful’
In one of the strongest portions of his speech, Yarkpawolo reminded the gathering that the Kpelle people represent Liberia’s largest ethnic population, accounting for more than 20 percent of the country’s citizens.
“This is not merely a statistic; it is a summons to leadership,” he stated.
“To be the largest is a burden of responsibility. The largest must also be peaceful, organized, generous, disciplined, and committed to the common good.”
According to him, the influence of the Kpelle people extends far beyond ethnic identity because of their presence across multiple counties and sectors of national life.
He urged Kpelle communities in Bong, Margibi, Bomi, Gbarpolu, Lofa, and neighboring Guinea to reject local divisions and embrace a broader shared identity.
“We may speak of Bong Kpelle, Margibi Kpelle, Gbarpolu Kpelle, Lofa Kpelle, Bomi Kpelle, or Guinea Kpelle, but these are descriptions of place, not divisions of destiny,” he declared.
Concern Over Cultural Erosion
The EPA boss also expressed deep concern about what he described as the gradual erosion of Kpelle language and cultural identity among younger generations.
“When a people lose their language, they lose a library of memory,” he cautioned.
Yarkpawolo lamented that many young people now identify as Kpelle while struggling to fluently speak their native language.
“This is not progress; it is cultural erosion,” he emphasized.
He called on parents, educators, media institutions, and community leaders to actively preserve and promote the Kpelle language through homes, schools, radio programming, and cultural activities.
“Parents must speak Kpelle to their children; schools must respect Kpelle learning; radio stations must create Kpelle programs,” he urged.
‘Celebration Alone Is Not Development’
While praising the colorful cultural displays and unity gathering, Yarkpawolo warned that symbolic celebrations alone would not solve the challenges confronting Kpelle communities and Liberia at large.
“Celebration alone is not development,” he declared.
Using traditional proverbs and cultural references throughout his speech, he challenged the Kpelle people to move beyond ceremonies toward concrete investments in education, agriculture, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.
“Our elders remind us: ‘Trees which bear flowers do not always bear fruit,’” he said.
“Today, our celebration is beautiful. The speeches, dances, and cultural displays are flowers. But after today, the Kpelle people must produce fruit.”
Strong Message to Youth and Women
The EPA Executive Director also delivered direct messages to young people and women, whom he described as central to the future of both Kpelle society and Liberia.
“You are not the future only; you are the present,” he told young attendees.
“Identity without discipline is empty. Pride without education is dangerous. Energy without direction can destroy.”
He additionally called for stronger support for women’s empowerment, girls’ education, and protection against gender-based violence.
“If we unify the men and leave women behind, we have only organized half of the house,” Yarkpawolo stated.
Environmental Protection Linked to Cultural Survival
As head of Liberia’s environmental regulatory authority, Yarkpawolo also linked cultural preservation to environmental protection, warning against illegal mining, forest destruction, river pollution, and unsustainable land practices.
“A people cannot claim love for their ancestors while destroying the land those ancestors protected for them,” he warned.
He stressed that land represents more than economic value.
“Land is not only property,” he said. “Land is memory, livelihood, identity, and a covenant between generations.”
Proposal for Kpelle Unification Compact
Concluding his address, Yarkpawolo proposed the establishment of what he termed a “Kpelle Unification Compact” centered on unity, cultural preservation, responsible leadership, youth and women empowerment, environmental stewardship, and national service.
“We cannot change the past, erase every division, or solve every problem in one day,” he acknowledged.
“But we can decide that Kpelle unity will mean more than cultural display; it will mean service.”
The National Kpelle Unification Day celebration attracted hundreds of participants from various parts of Liberia and neighboring Guinea, reflecting the continued influence and cultural significance of the Kpelle people within the Mano River region.
Follow The Liberian Post on Facebook and X (formerly twitter)
