The atmosphere reminds him of the late days of Samuel Doe. But you can never rely upon friends and have to take care. Sorious leaves the bar. For the first time, he is confronted by the reality of daily life in Liberia. For Monrovia is a rusty, wreck of a place, despite being the capital of a major West African power, the nominal address of most of the world's shipping and once the landing point of African-American settlers liberated from slavery.
Buildings are bomb damaged.
The streets are littered with debris. Garbage is pilled up, awaiting its weekly collection by workers from Save the Children. Liberia looks like it's in a state of seige. It is in a state of seige. The Central Police Headquarters in Monrovia is housed beside the President's Executive Mansion.