On Monday, May 5, a dozen armed men stormed the Smile FM radio station in Zwedru, the capital of eastern Grand Gedeh County, with the apparent intent to attack broadcast technician Cyrus Gbeway while he was on air. Gbeway was beaten and dragged from the station, and his phone was damaged during the assault.
The incident led to a two-week shutdown of Smile FM. The suspension of broadcasts comes amid a leadership dispute between two rival boards claiming authority over the community radio station.
Gbeway reported that the attackers were known associates of Grand Gedeh County superintendent Alex Chersia Grant, one of 15 superintendents appointed nationally by the president. Grant denied ordering the raid, noting that he is one of the station’s founders. However, he acknowledged knowing two of the men identified by Gbeway but declined to explain their involvement or his relationship with them.
Station manager Solo Uriah Lewis told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that he called the police upon arriving at the station but found it already occupied. Smile FM eventually resumed operations on May 19.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Journalists in Liberia continue to face threats, harassment, and physical attacks, often linked to political and security actors. While the end of Liberia’s civil war allowed independent media to flourish, news outlets still struggle financially and remain vulnerable.
At Free Press Alliance, we call on Liberian authorities to ensure the safety of all journalists and to protect the uninterrupted operation of Smile FM and all independent media outlets in the country.