By: H. Richard Fallah
WASHINGTON DC: The Government of the United States of America has officially received from Liberia’s Human Rights Community a Resolution, calling for the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
Presenting the Resolution to the US government, the Secretary General of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia, in collaboration with Human Rights Watch and the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), Adama Dempster, disclosed that they held several meetings after which, they reaffirmed Liberian’s commitment to call for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court.
A dispatch released from the United States said the Resolution was presented to the Desk Officer on Liberia at the African Bureau at the United States Department, Democratic and Republican Congressional staffs and the US Ambassador for War Crimes.
The Resolution, endorsed by civil society, justice campaigners, war victims and survivors and the human rights community in Liberia, highlights section 46 of the erstwhile Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Act considering civil society organizations as moral guarantors of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) charged with the responsibility to monitor and campaign for the scrupulous implementation of all recommendations contained in the TRC report.
The Resolution in the consolidated counts 3 & 4, calls on the US Government, a historic friend of the people of Liberia, and particularly through the US Embassy in Monrovia and the Office of Global Criminal Justice, to take action to stand with victims by supporting the establishment of a War Crimes Court for Liberia.
The Resolution requested that the assistance to conduct a need assessment on setting up a court that can conduct fair, credible trials of civil wars-era crimes, encouraging a consultative process with the victims and survivors of these crimes, and delivering an unequivocal message to the Liberian government and the public in support of a war crimes court for Liberia
The groups added in its Resolution that all efforts be made to emulate actions taken in the region such as the recent trial for the 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea, prosecutions for atrocity crimes in Sierra Leone before the hybrid Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic, and the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal to deliver justice against crimes and atrocities including sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, torture, summary executions and massacres of civilians committed over the course of the civil wars-era that continued to go unpunished
Meanwhile, in respond to the Resolution from the Human Rights Watch and the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), US Ambassador for War Crimes, State Department _Global Crimes Justice, Ambassador Beth Van Schaack, tweeted: “Great to meet again with Adama Dempster and discussed civil society’s collective Resolution demanding Justice for Liberia.”
Ambassador Beth Van Schaack said Impunity for war crimes continues to affect all of Liberian society, promising that the US is prepared to stand with victims as they seek accountability.
In the aftermath of the presentation of the Resolution and engagement with Congress, Adama Dempster had the opportunity to attend the launch of the US- Africa Policy Working Group- chaired by Congresswoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on May 11, 2023 in Washington DC.
At the launch of the US-Africa Policy Working Group, 20 Members of Congress committed to building partnerships with the continent of Africa.
In her opening remark, US congress-woman, Rep. Ilhan Omar, said that the Working Group will be active on the various urgent crises in Africa, from the conflicts in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the rash of coups and instability in West Africa and the Sahel.
She promised that the US-Africa Policy Working Group, will also spend time focusing on the continent’s many success stories, from Senegal’s extraordinary leadership in global health to the inspiring African movements for democracy and human rights.
In 1989 to 2003, civil war consumed the oldest independent African republic of Liberia, resulting in the estimated deaths of 150,000 to 250,000 men, women and children, and the displacement of over half the country’s population.
All parties to the conflict were responsible for grave crimes and human rights atrocities, including torture, rape, sexual slavery, summary executions, and forced conscription of child soldiers.
Since 2003, Liberia is still struggling to recollect its broken pieces from the terrible past and have the country return to its glorious days.
Major obstacles remain to long-term growth and sustainable peace, not least an enduring culture of impunity for civil war era atrocities.
What became known as the First Civil War began on December 24, 1989, when the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Charles Taylor launched an assault on Doe’s forces.
By early 1990, tens of thousands of Liberians had fled the country and thousands of civilians and combatants were raped, tortured or killed, as government and rebel forces engaged in extended warfare.
At the same time, new rebel factions were emerging and on September 9, 1990, President Samuel Doe was killed by Prince Y. Johnson, leader of a breakaway faction of Taylor’s NPFL.
On August 18, 2003, Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed, bringing an end to the 14-year conflict in Liberia.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) created a framework for a transitional government; called for political and economic reforms; and set out procedures for demobilization. The National Transitional Government of Liberia was inaugurated on October 14, 2003, under a power sharing agreement that included members of different fighting factions.
The signatories to the CPA called for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and envisioned that the TRC would provide a “forum that would address issues of impunity, as well as provide an opportunity for both victims and perpetrators of human rights violations to share their experiences, in order to get a clear picture of the past to facilitate genuine healing and reconciliation.”
Despite the potential of the TRC and the goals for ending impunity for civil war era crimes, Liberia has since done little to implement the body’s recommendations, many of which relate to prosecutions, sanctions, an alternative justice mechanism, reparations, and demoralization.
Although the lack of prosecutions can in part be attributed to the state of Liberia’s legal system, some commentators and analysts also point to a lack of political will.
