Pro war crimes advocates in Liberia staged a peaceful protest in the streets of Monrovia requesting for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in the West African state.
Following the protest march, the advocates delivered a letter to the President’s Office urging him to call for the establishment of an ad-hoc court in Liberia to try those mentioned in the TRC report as having committed war and economic crimes in the country.
“If for nothing else, we want to beseech you to work hard at protecting the peace and ensuring that justice prevails for all, which you can appreciate in the long run as a defining legacy of your administration,” the letter read.
The statement lamented that warring factions used massacres, rape, torture and other forms of inhumane treatment as weapons to intimidate and terrorize civilians during the prolonged civil war that lasted from 1989 to 2003.
The TRC recorded a total of 163615 violations, including cannibalism, massacre, summary executions, torture, rape, abductions, and recommended the setting up of an extraordinary criminal court to prosecute those who committed serious crimes against humanity during the civil war.
The protestors expressed regret that former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf “cleverly and intentionally turned a blind eye and refused to implement the TRC recommendations”, and cautioned President Weah against following suit.
They believe that continuously ignoring the need to have war actors and other perpetrators to account for their actions undermines peace and stability.
One of the participants in Friday’s protest march, the President of the Liberia Massacre Survivors’ Association, Peterson Sonya, described the call for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia as an unwavering campaign.
“Even Nimba County, where I hail from, is prepared for the war crimes court; people are having misconceptions about how Nimbaians feel about the court,” he stressed.
Friday’s march for the setting up an extraordinary criminal court to prosecute war criminals is the second in less than five months, after the November 12, 2018 protest march.
Since taking office over one year ago, President George Manneh Weah’s CDC-led government has so far failed to commit themselves to the establishment of a war and economic crimes court, despite mounting pressure from various civil society and political groups.
All factions committed gender based violence against women and recruited children to participate in acts of violence.
“External state actors in Africa, North America and Europe participated, supported, aided, abetted, conspired and instigated violence, war and regime change for political, economic and foreign policy advantages and gains,” the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report said.
The TRC advised for the establishment of an Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal for Liberia and named individuals, corporations and institutions recommended for prosecution or, in some cases, for further investigation.
The commission also included a list of individuals recommended to be barred from holding public office for thirty years including former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
TSS/as/APA