MONROVIA – One suspected war criminal could be arrested in Liberia before the end of this year according to Hassan Bility, the leading investigator of war crimes in the country. Bility has gathered evidence to prosecute Liberians, who bear the greatest responsibilities for atrocities committed during the years of civil war, whether they are in America or in Europe.
Report by Mae Azango, [email protected]
“The last time I spoke publicly, I said there were going to be four arrests made before the end of the year and one has already been made in France, so there are three more to go,” said Hassan Bility of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP). “Among the three, there is likely to be one arrest made here, either at an international border, whether land border or airport,” Bility said, adding that it could happen soon. He was speaking at a news conference with other human rights organizations in Monrovia recently.
Bility did not give any indication of who the target might be but legal scholars have long speculated that US investigators are gathering pieces of evidence for prosecutions against Liberians who killed American citizens during the war. An arrest warrant from the US or other country would force the George Weah-led government to respond to an extradition request – something that might set off a political firestorm in the country and further strain Liberia’s international reputation.
Bility’s Monrovia-based GJRP collaborates with Swiss-based Civitas Maxima in the prosecution of Liberian war criminals. Their latest collaboration saw the arrest in September in France of Kunti K, an ex-general of United Liberation Movement of Liberia (ULIMO).
GJRP and Civitas Maxima successfully prosecuted Mohammed Jabbateh — also of ULIMO — and Thomas Woewiyu of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). Jabbateh is serving a 30-year sentence, while Woewiyu’s sentencing has been delayed by more than a month from October 15 to November 26. The 71-year-old Woewiyu faces up to 75 years in jail.
Liberia has yet to set up a war crimes court despite its Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommending it nearly 10 years ago.
The previous administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf expressed fear that it would throw the country back to war, while this administration of President Weah has said it would focus on development and not risk instability that may be caused by a trial. Indeed despite the growing calls from international and local advocates for a court, President Weah did not say a single word about war time accountability during his speech at the UN General Assembly last week.
Still the calls for a court have continued to come, with the United Nations Human Rights Council and a bevy of other international organizations like Amnesty International voicing their support.
In Liberia the views are mixed. Some say the court will end impunity and that people should be made to account for their deeds. Others say the court will undermine years of hard-fought peace, the argument former warlords continue to push since the end of the civil war in 2003. This Weah administration, when it was in opposition, had pushed through thick and thin calling for the establishment a war crimes court. But since assuming the state power, it has changed its tone in that direction and is now preaching the doctrine of “peace is fragile” and or “country is not yet ready for this court.”
“No person can cause any threat to anybody or destabilize the peace in Liberia, because the war has been over for more than 15 years and anybody in possession of arms illegally should be arrested,” Bility dissented.
He added that Liberia was under obligation to set up a war crimes court, because it is a signatory to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Convention, which lays down the rules of war. He said war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in Liberia during the 14-year civil war (1989 – 2003).
“Do we want perpetrators prosecuted overseas or do we want Liberians to be prosecuted here in the presence of their victims?” Bility asked. “Since 2012, my organization GJRP has successfully filed complaints and has helped to make arrest for seven Liberians suspected war criminals. The latest one was in France. Then other arrests were made in, England, Switzerland, Belgium and several parts in the United States. Our point is, we think it is important that we have the trials here.”
Answering why now war crimes court and not just after the civil crisis, Bility said it was never too late, because ex-warlords are in government. The former leader of the Independent National Patriotic Party of Liberia (INPFL), Prince Y. Johnson is a senator for Nimba County.
Also, former leader of the Liberia Peace Council (LPC) is a representative of Grand Gedeh County. Both men were named in the TRC report as “most notorious perpetrators”.
Though a signatory to the Rome Statute, Liberia needs to call on the UN to help it set up its court. And when that happens, the country would have to pass a law to establish the court.
Bility added that fear had shifted from the victims to the perpetrators, and it was time that Liberians pushed harder for justice.
The Liberian civil war saw some of the most horrible crimes ever committed in war time anywhere.
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives.