By: Frank P. Martin
NEW JERSEY: United States Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, over the weekend, rained praises on Liberia’s President, Joseph Boakai, for what he (congressman Smith calls “timely appointment” of Counsellor Jonathan Massaquoi to serve as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court.
“With this critical appointment, President Boakai continues to show his commitment and eagerness for justice,” the American Congressman said.
“His expeditious pursuit of accountability for the people of Liberia has strong support here in the U.S. Congress, and we will continue to support him when he stays the course for justice in the face of the inevitable pushback from those guilty of crimes or trying to undermine the process,” he added.
Counsellor Jonathan Massaquoi’s appointment comes on the heels of a U.S. congressional hearing, chaired by Smith last week that examined the next steps toward accountability for those responsible for the egregious human rights violations suffered by thousands of Liberians during the country’s civil war that spanned a decade.
Now under Massaquoi’s direction, the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court is tasked with establishing a court that will bring to justice individuals who committed untold human rights abuses—with near-complete immunity to date—during Liberia’s civil wars between 1989 and 2003, when 250,000 Liberians died from fighting, and thousands more were conscripted as child soldiers, raped, suffered loss of limb, and endured other traumatic experiences.
“The people of Liberia—who suffered brutal human rights violations and economic crimes for so many years—deserve nothing less than justice,” Smith said.
“As you are aware, the establishment of this office and the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia represents a historic milestone in the fight against corruption and impunity in this country,” President Boakai recently remarked.
“I am convinced that combating these corrosive practices in our society will contribute to peace, sustainable development, and prosperity. You are expected to use your best efforts to ensure the success of this initiative. I trust that you will carry out your duties with utmost diligence, dedication, and loyalty to your country,” the Liberian leader urged Massaquoi.
The appointment of Cllr. Massaquoi marks another significant step in the Liberian government’s efforts to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court and end impunity.
This move comes barely two months after President Boakai signed Executive Order #131, establishing the office to set up a War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
President Boakai’s decision followed the Legislature’s joint resolution authorizing the creation of the necessary mechanisms and processes to establish a court to prosecute individuals responsible for war and economic crimes committed during Liberia’s civil wars.
According to the executive order, “The office shall investigate, design, and prescribe the methodology, mechanisms, and processes for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court for Liberia, as well as a National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.”
The order also stipulates that the “Office of War and Economic Crimes Court shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall be an astute lawyer of impeccable character, knowledgeable in Liberian constitutional and criminal law, and capable of working with the international community in formulating the mechanisms, procedures, and processes necessary for establishing a war crimes court and an anti-corruption court for Liberia.”
In recent decades, Liberia’s people have suffered untold human rights violations while perpetrators acted with near-complete impunity during the country’s multiple civil wars. Between 1989 and 2003, 250,000 Liberians died from the fighting, and thousands more were conscripted as child soldiers, raped, suffered loss of limb, and endured other traumatic experiences. Since that time, not a single war crimes trial has occurred in Liberia as part of the country’s judicial process.
This month, the United States Government through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) on Foreign Affairs of the American House of Representatives hosted a hearing to examine the legacy of Liberia’s civil wars on its people and economy and the next steps for the new Office of a War and Economic Crimes Court, and offered recommendations for Congress.
The bi-partisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission was established with the unanimous consent of the United States House of Representatives in 2008.
The hybrid hearing saw members of the US Congress, including Congressman Chris Smith participating in person while other human rights activists, including Liberian Human Rights and Justice Campaigner, Adama Dempster, voicing out.
Mr. Dempster recommended that leading a process of giving support to victims, survivors and communities affected by the civil is crucial to the operation of the court along the line.
“In the view of civil society, the proposed court is informed by the TRC report and international legal advice will be Liberia first WECC. Civil society should be key members in the drafting of the court status and operations of the office; civil society will have a pivotal role to play in outreach and ensuring that all stakeholders including women survivor, victims, and underrepresented minority groups are heard as part of the process,” he recommended.
