Monrovia – As Liberia’s President George Weah takes the stage today (Wednesday) at the UN General Assembly, over 80 local and international Organizations have urged the Liberian leader to announce that his government supports the establishment of war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
Major campaigners including human rights lawyer Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe, Danieletta Sleyon of the Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy, Hassan Bility, Director of Global Justice and Research Project, and Adama Dempster, Secretary General of the National Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy all spoke at a press conference on Tuesday in Monrovia.
Cllr. Gongloe said Liberians can’t keep silent on the abuse of human rights, adding that no well-meaning Liberian will approve the dozens of violations committed against Liberia.
“I believe that we will be proud that our president will say to the world that there will be accountability for those who partake in the war and that is the way human dignity will be restored,” he said.
Cllr. Gongloe said if President Weah has sympathy for war criminals it would undermine the credibility of his administration.
“I believe that in time of peace like this we should speak more about accountability and shift the burden of fear. Those warlords had no respect for human, they raped women and had no regard for humans, they must face justice,” he said.
The human rights lawyer said Liberian leader should speak for victims from war crises and not approve what happened to us, adding that warlords are holding top positions and enjoying themselves but has refused to show remorse for their actions.
“As soon as we see them our minds remind us about the checkpoints and their inhuman treatments toward us,” he said.
When questioned on why war crimes court should now be established, the human rights lawyer said, “Now is the right time because some of the perpetrators and victims might die soon,” adding that evidence will no longer be available if they die.
Despite the calls for war crimes, some Liberians claim setting up war crimes court is untimely and warlords should be forgiven. But Cllr. Gongloe says those rejecting the calls for the establishment of the courts “do not have common sense”.
“Forgetfulness does not make common sense, to forgive without accountability is meaningless, let them be held accountable,” he said, adding that installing fears in warlords is another form of justice.
At the same time, Adam Dempster said many Liberians believe that President Weah is ‘clean’ and has no attachment to the crisis, so it is time for the Liberian leader to confirm what his supporters are saying.
He furthers that under the past administration there was lack of political will as compared to the current administration.
Dempster: “Present government should respect her obligations under international human rights status to be able to address grave crimes that are mention. Impunity has evaded our corridors and moreover you have hundreds of thousands of victims who have not had reparation, there are some who still carry bodily injuries, scars, and wounds that need medical attention, do we wait for all these victims to die away and what can we use as a measure?”
He added that it is shameful and degrading that Liberia will still have alleged perpetrators who are using the situations to threaten the state and the advocacy that is ongoing.
“In-fact with no heart or remorse for the victim that they suffered, we think that at this point in time the Government of Liberia can use the stage to endorse the accountability,” he said while referencing how Sierra Leone addressed its issues of war crimes.
“So are you saying that Liberia is a different country, that we will be on the other side; I think we are under obligation, either Liberia does due diligence or she will have some consequences coming back to her.”
The campaigners said they are not afraid of the threats coming from alleged perpetrators.
In a communication sent to President Weah, the 80 local and international organizations called on the government to develop, with support from the international community, a roadmap to ensure justice and reparations for victims of the gravest crimes committed during Liberia’s civil wars.
Stating that the UN Human Rights Committee on July 26, 2018, they called upon the Liberian government to establish a process of accountability for past war crimes following its first-ever review of the human rights situation in Liberia.
In its final report issued July 1, 2009, Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for the creation of a war crimes court in the country, and Liberia is obligated under international law to try grave crimes committed. Liberia has yet to hold a single person to account for past abuses.
According to the committee, “such a situation fosters a climate of impunity and fails to achieve transitional justice.” The only prosecutions of past abuses are taking place in the United States and Europe,”
The communication states: “Liberia’s civil wars were characterized by widespread atrocities, including summary executions and large-scale massacres, including at Carter Camp and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church where hundreds of civilians were killed in a single night; widespread as well as systematic rape; mutilation and torture; and forced conscription and use of child combatants.”
According to the organizations, attacks against humanitarian aid centers and murder of international aid workers, such as the death of five American nuns, brought international attention to Liberia’s war.
The Human Rights Committee identified measures to provide justice, truth, and reparations for civil war victims as a priority, and Liberia will need to report back on these issues by 2020.