Monrovia – Rev. Dr. Kortu K. Brown, Pastor of New Water in the Desert Assembly, Apostolic Pentecostal Church says there is no justification for another round of violence in Liberia, sending a chilling warning to some politicians making threats of violence ahead of the upcoming presidential and legislative elections in Liberia.
“I think the lingering proposal for a war crimes court for Liberia should not be out-rightly rejected or taken off the table. I think we need a deterrence here to ensure that the democratic gains so far, peace and stability of the nation are protected.
The rule of law is the foundation of any democratic state. That is why the electoral college system takes precedence over the majority vote system in the United States of America even to the displeasure of many of her citizens” – Rev. Dr. Kortu K. Brown, Pastor of New Water in the Desert Assembly, Apostolic Pentecostal Church
In a statement Tuesday, Rev. Brown said Liberia has already seen unprecedented political violence in the last 40 years than probably any other country in West Africa thus it is important for Liberians to dismiss any form of threat regarding the upcoming presidential elections.
“From the agitation for rights in the late 70’s to the rice riot in 1979 to the bloody coup of 1980, the Nimba Raid in 1983 to the post-elections invasion in 1985 culminating into the fifteen-year civil war that begun in 1989, Liberians of all persuasions of life pray for a better day when the country will be peaceful and stable and their government will operate under the rule of law.”
The clergyman, however, said that in post-civil-war Liberia, it is an irony that when an argument breaks out on anything of national consequence.
“Some Liberians who may feel directly or indirectly “aggrieved’ will always want to threaten to result in violence as a means of resolving such questions or issues. A case in point is the ongoing debate on the application of the Code of Conduct for people seeking public office.”
“In the hall of intellectual and legal arguments, violence is inimical to sustaining the rule of law and/or consolidating peace and democracy in a post-war country like ours.”
Rev. Brown further noted that the reason why more than 250,000 Liberian men and women died during the 15 years of a senseless fratricidal war was to ensure the rule of law and the placement of the common good over and above personal preferences, among others.
“No nation can succeed without the application of the rule of law even if that process affects some of the perceived “nobles” or “untouchables” of the state,” he averred.
The clergyman stated: This is why in the Bible book of Exodus Chapter 20, God Almighty gave Israel the Ten Commandments and other subsequent laws. Because of the critical nature of the 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, I believe we should do everything within our powers to ensure that the process is peaceful and the results are reassuring.”
Rev. Brown said he believes that if any politician in Liberia premeditates – and/or incites – electoral violence because the law or code of conduct disqualifies him or her from running for public office at this time. “I think the lingering proposal for a war crimes court for Liberia should not be out-rightly rejected or taken off the table.”
“I think we need a deterrence here to ensure that the democratic gains so far, peace and stability of the nation are protected. The rule of law is the foundation of any democratic state. That is why the electoral college system takes precedence over the majority vote system in the United States of America even to the displeasure of many of her citizens.”
Recently, Rev. Brown explained, that in the Republic of Kenya and the Islamic Republic of Iran for example, potential candidates for high office in those respective countries were disqualified from running for public offices because the vetting councils ruled they were ineligible to run for offices in their countries.
“There was no violence in their streets as a result of those verdicts!!! Why should there be violence in Liberia if anyone is disqualified in accordance with law from running for public office?
The code of conduct, for example, was proposed by the Executive Branch of Government in 2011, debated for 3 years and passed by the Legislature in 2014 and subsequently signed into law by the President of the Republic of Liberia.”
“It was in 2017 upheld by the Supreme Court of Liberia as being consistent with the Constitution of Liberia. Why are people then inciting to violence over an issue that they should go to court to seek legal redress?”
Rev. Brown added: “The law, like the code of conduct mandated by the 1986 Constitution, is the law until it is repealed by the Legislature or reviewed by the constitutional court which is the Supreme Court of Liberia.”
“We, therefore, encourage all potential candidates to commit to respecting the rule of law and consolidating peace and democracy in the country whether or not they participate in the October 10, 2017, polls. Liberia is NO one person property or corporation. That Title is held by over four million people as ordered by God.”
He then called on Liberians to stand up for the rule of law in the interest of the country.
“Those who may not contest the 2017 polls can do so in subsequent elections when they qualify. It is troubling to even hear sometimes elected and/or appointed leaders of the country who sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution and Laws of Liberia, argue that if the code of conduct is applied, it could lead to violence.”
“Why then did they propose and advocate for passage of this law in the first place?
“Maybe it is high time that Civil Society vigorously champions calls for the extension of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate incidences of electoral violence in Liberia. 2 Samuel 10 verse 12 calls on us “… to be strong for our people and for the cities of our God…”
It was the United States 32nd President, Harry Truman who said, “The buck stops here.”
“Leaders cannot lead without taking responsibilit – I also appeal to ECOWAS, African Union, United Nations, European Union and our traditional partner, United States of America to stand with the people of Liberia in ensuring that the rule of law is consolidated in this country and to also take cognizance of all those who are premeditating – and/or inciting to violence through their utterances and actions and help ordinary Liberians employ the necessary safeguards and mechanisms to ensuring peaceful, free and fair elections, and a stable country.”
Rev. Brown lamented that the International community has sacrificed a lot to help us get where we are at the moment.
“Liberians want no more war! Officials of Government and Leaders of political parties who are arguing that if the law is applied, it could result to violence in the country are in fact inciting and/or advocating violence in the electoral process. This kind of violence seems to be premeditated and it is unacceptable.
“We should be focused on building instead of erasing the gains our country has made in the last 14 years since the cessation of hostilities.”
The clergyman averred that an “unjust” peace is better than a “righteous” war especially if it is a war based on selfishness, greed for power and a disregard for the plight of ordinary Liberians who have suffered so much over the past 40 years.
“Let us also think about the young children going to school in the country at the moment while some of the people who claim they deserve to run for public office have their children in foreign countries where they will run if violence was to break out in this country.”
Liberia has been generating a lot of buzz regarding war crimes lately following the arrest of several key figures of the civil war era.
The Special Court of Sierra Leone indicted former President Charles Taylor. Taylor was arrested on March 29, 2006, in Nigeria and transferred into the custody of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
He was charged with 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
On April 26, 2012, he was convicted of all charges and sentenced on May 30, 2012, to 50 years in prison. In March 2015, Taylor was ordered to serve the rest of his jail term in the UK, after losing a request to be transferred to Rwanda.
The former President had argued that he was being denied his rights to a family life because his wife and children had not been granted UK visas. The judges rejected this argument, saying they had not properly applied.
Since Mr. Taylor’s conviction, several other prominent figures of the civil war have been apprehended on foreign soil.
Among them are George Boley, the former leader of the Liberia Peace Council who was arrested, charged, tried, found guilty and deported to Liberia.
A U.S. Judge found sufficient evidence that that the former LPC leader had been involved in killings and recruited children to fight in the bloody civil war.
Martina Johnson, a commander of The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group during Liberia’s first civil war, which took place from 1986 to 1996 was arrested last year in Belgium.
As a member of the NPFL, Johnson is suspected of having participated in and/or have been involved in many different crimes, including being suspected of participating in, or even having organized, “Operation Octopus”.
Octopus was the name given to the attack on the capital city of Monrovia carried out during October 1992 with the aim of getting Charles Taylor into power. Five American nuns were killed during Operation Octopus.
These nuns were members of the “Adorers of the Blood of Christ” order – a Catholic order based in St Louis in the USA – who were acting as missionaries in Liberia but were also carrying out humanitarian work. Johnson is suspected of being involved in their deaths.
Also last year, the United States Attorney in Philadelphia unsealed an indictment against 49-year-old East Lansdowne resident Mohammed Jabbateh, claiming that he was a Liberian war criminal known as “Jungle Jabbah.”
He faces fraud and perjury charges stemming from his immigration to the United States in the late 1990s.
Charles McArther Emmanuel, also known as Chuckie Taylor is the son of former President Taylor.
During his father’s presidency, Emmanuel became the commander of the infamously violent Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), commonly known in Liberia as the “Demon Forces”.
He is currently serving a 97-year sentence back in Florida for his role in human rights violation.
Last January, authorities in Canada denied Cindor Reeves, brother of Agnes Reeves Taylor even though he was instrumental in providing testimony that led to the indictment of former President Taylor.
He entered Taylor’s household as a teenager after Taylor married Reeves’s sister, Agnes.
He also helped Taylor smuggle guns and diamonds between Liberia and Sierra Leone.
But Reeves secretly turned against Taylor and began co-operating with the Special Court for Sierra Leone, helping the international tribunal build its case against him.
Amid the interest to arrest war crime figures outside Liberia, some Liberians have taken their government to task for its delay in bringing suspects to book.
But in a recent FrontPageAfrica interview, Ambassador Tiina Intelmann, the head of the European Union delegation in Liberia says only Liberia can decide the best route to achieving reconciliation and implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations.
The envoy, who has previously worked as President of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court, the first woman in that capacity; speaking in an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica recently, said the void in the reconciliation process is noticeable.
“When you look at the United Nations Security Council resolutions you’ll see very frequent and strong references to reconciliation and that it is basically job not done, ” the Ambassador averred
Ambassador Intelmann added: “You cannot fail to notice that the job of reconciliation still needs to be pursued and it would be to the benefit of all Liberians, so I fully agree with the United Nations Security Council and with more experienced colleagues who have been here for a longer time that you need to invest in reconciliation.”
“Our judicial systems are very resilient and they will be able to deliver judgments that are sound. Yes, I have quite a long background in accountability issues from the International Criminal Court.”
“You may, however, remember that there was also a Special Court for Sierra Leone that was established by the United Nations Security Council in connection with the war that took place in Liberia and Sierra Leone and certainly some very good judicial work has been done there.”
Asked for her views on the concerns many Liberians have over how strange it is that the post-war nation has been lukewarm to implement its TRC while figures of the war are being arrested in Europe and America, the envoy said, it is up to Liberians to decide what they want to do.
“At the end of the day, it is up to Liberia as a nation itself and to the government to decide what they want to do, how they want to do things “
The envoy added: Having been involved with international criminal justice, I have also learned that sometimes when the jury delivers a guilty verdict, it orders the person to apologize. So, there are all kinds of ways of healing, not only putting another person in prison but also a Palava hut or a simple apology.
Ambassador Intelmann suggested that there are all kinds of ways of healing, not only putting another person in prison but also a Palava hut or a simple apology.”
“I think I am old enough to understand that the world is not black and white but clearly more would need to be done for Liberia, for you yourselves to feel comfortable. I have to say that Liberia is not the only country that has had a very difficult history,” When I look back at my own country, we were subjected to 50 years of a very brutal regime where we had no say about our future.
“A lot of people were also killed. There were extrajudicial killings, deportations.”
“When all of that ended, there was accumulated anger and frustration among the population. A lot of nations all over the world have had to heal, the better you do it, the more deeply you do it, the better it is for the nation.”
Recently, Dr. Alan White, the lead prosecutor who spearheaded the arrested and indictment of Taylor, confirmed a FrontPageAfrica report last week that Senator Prince Johnson, a former warlord who headed the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia, a breakaway from Taylor’s NPFL, is currently under investigation into the death of an American woman during the height of the civil war.
Said Dr. White: “This is one particular individual that has a historic past – the recent revelations and witnesses that are coming forward and eyewitness account allegedly of him executing an unarmed American is just an unthinkable crime – again now it’s for the Americans but also for the Liberians and the historic past we have, we couldn’t tolerate this so we’ll let justice play out”.