Moses Blah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moses Blah
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| 23rd President of Liberia | |
| In office 11 August 2003 – 14 October 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Gyude Bryant |
| 28th Vice President of Liberia | |
| In office 24 July 2000 – 11 August 2003 |
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| President | Charles Taylor |
| Preceded by | Enoch Dogolea |
| Succeeded by | Wesley Momo Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 April 1947 Toweh Town, Liberia |
| Died | 1 April 2013 (aged 65) Monrovia, Liberia |
| Political party | National Patriotic |
Moses Zeh Blah (born April 18, 1947 – died April 1, 2013) was an important politician from Liberia. He served as the 28th Vice President under President Charles Taylor. After President Taylor resigned, Moses Blah became the 23rd President of Liberia on August 11, 2003. He was president for about two months. On October 14, 2003, a new government supported by the United Nations took over. This government was led by Gyude Bryant.
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Early Life and Political Journey
Moses Blah was born in Toweh Town, Liberia. This small town is in north-eastern Nimba County, near the border with the Ivory Coast. He spoke the Gio language, which is common in that area.
Blah joined forces with Charles Taylor during a difficult time in Liberia's history. He trained with Taylor in a camp in Libya. Later, he served as a general during Liberia's civil war in the 1990s.
After Taylor was elected president in 1997, Blah became an ambassador. He represented Liberia in countries like Libya and Tunisia. In July 2000, he was chosen to be the Vice President of Liberia. This happened after the previous Vice President, Enoch Dogolea, passed away.
Time as Vice President
Moses Blah was known for being a quiet and humble person. Unlike many politicians, he often drove his own jeep around town. He preferred wearing traditional African robes instead of military uniforms. He also didn't like having bodyguards follow him everywhere.
In June 2003, President Taylor left Liberia for peace talks in Ghana. During this time, some people encouraged Blah to take over as president. However, Blah did not try to do this. When Taylor returned, Blah was briefly held at home. But he was soon cleared of any wrongdoing and went back to his job as Vice President.
Becoming President
When President Taylor resigned in August 2003, Moses Blah became the new president. This was a very short term, lasting only two months. Some groups in Liberia were worried because of his close ties to the former president. They thought he might continue the same ways.
Blah tried to calm these worries. He called the rebel groups "brothers" and said, "Let bygones be bygones." He also offered to share power with them. He even invited the rebel leaders to talk at his own house.
Moses Blah passed away on April 1, 2013, in Monrovia, Liberia. He was almost 66 years old.
Personal Details
Moses Blah first trained as a mechanic. He was very good with languages and could speak German, French, and Arabic. He had many children with his wife, Nettie, and also many grandchildren.
See also
In Spanish: Moses Blah para niños
