Gabriel Baccus Matthews
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Baccus Matthews (1948 – September 7, 2007) was a Liberia
n politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Alliance of Liberia
and the United People's Party
and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Liberia twice.
As a young man, Matthews joined the dissident movement against President William R. Tolbert. He was the first Liberian politician to advocate multi party democracy. After the April 1980 coup in which Tolbert was overthrown and Samuel K. Doe came to power, Matthews became Minister of Foreign Affairs for the first time. Matthews was Foreign Minister until 1981. He later fell out of favor with Doe, who became increasingly dictatorial. During the 1980s, he was the main opposition politician in Liberia. In 1990, Matthews again became Foreign Minister, as Doe was overthrown the country was left without a stable government. Matthews was instrumental in bringing the ECOMOG Peacekeeping force to Liberia. He remained foreign minister until 1993 when he was replaced in a cabinet reshuffle. At the end of the civil war, Matthews stood unsuccessfully as the candidate of the United People's Party in the 1997 presidential election. In 2005, Matthews announced his support for George Weah
in the 2005 presidential election.
Matthews died on September 7, 2007 after a brief illness.
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Alliance of Liberia
Progressive Alliance of Liberia
In 1975 the Progressive Alliance of Liberia became the first legally recognized opposition party in Liberia since the country was founded. The party was initially formed among the Liberian diaspora in the United States and was led by Gabriel Baccus Matthews who espoused a quasi-Marxist ideology...
and the United People's Party
United People's Party (Liberia)
The United People's Party is a political party in Liberia.In the 11 October 2005 elections, the party participated as part of the Alliance for Peace and Democracy ....
and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Liberia twice.
As a young man, Matthews joined the dissident movement against President William R. Tolbert. He was the first Liberian politician to advocate multi party democracy. After the April 1980 coup in which Tolbert was overthrown and Samuel K. Doe came to power, Matthews became Minister of Foreign Affairs for the first time. Matthews was Foreign Minister until 1981. He later fell out of favor with Doe, who became increasingly dictatorial. During the 1980s, he was the main opposition politician in Liberia. In 1990, Matthews again became Foreign Minister, as Doe was overthrown the country was left without a stable government. Matthews was instrumental in bringing the ECOMOG Peacekeeping force to Liberia. He remained foreign minister until 1993 when he was replaced in a cabinet reshuffle. At the end of the civil war, Matthews stood unsuccessfully as the candidate of the United People's Party in the 1997 presidential election. In 2005, Matthews announced his support for George Weah
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting...
in the 2005 presidential election.
Matthews died on September 7, 2007 after a brief illness.
External links
- Obituary from the Liberian Observer