The
attitude has always been: "let's
chakla it, we will fix it". It is no surprise that
the wanton disregard for the rule of law and lack of
consideration for the welfare and cohesion of the Republic
has been secondary to selfish interests for decades in
Liberia.
The
reaction of some in government, the National Legislature,
and ex-warlords to Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation
Commission's (TRC) final
report is tantamount to "a country of men" and not
laws.
In
the view of the writer, the final report of the TRC is a
fearless, bold and unselfish attempt at 'righting the
ship" and saying to whoever the report affects that
there are still decent and fair- minded individuals in
and out of that country who are proud of their patrimony and
can do the right thing when asked to do it all the time and
every time. This is called 'speaking truth to
power".
The
age old "my man, let's
leave it" attitude and the cloak of "let bygones
be bygones for the sake of reconciliation" is now
challenged by the issuance of bold recommendations in the
TRC final report, and the fall-out are threats against
decent individuals who dare do the right thing. Accountability
and responsibility, if anything, complement acts of
contrition, reconciliation and re-building.
Thousands
of individuals were dislocated from their homes into exile,
others killed for simply having a "kwee" or
western, Gio, Krahn, Mandingo, Ghanain
or Nigerian name that some warlord or his fighters didn't
like.
Peacekeepers
from the sub region who attempted to stop the bloodletting
were kidnapped, massacred, their heads used as checkpoints
markers and some buried alive by some of the factions whose
only goal was taking state power by force or "No
Liberia". The elderly, women, the young and unborn saw evil
visited upon them and they were powerless to do anything to
save themselves. The future of young men was
irreparably compromised when they were conscripted to do the
"dirty job" for the warlords and told to pay
themselves in the process.
Even
our religious and social institutions were
desecrated and disrespected by all sides in their blood-soaked
lust for what?
Again,
" let's
chakla it, we will fix it" mantra pervades the fabric
of our beloved country and this leads to violence
begetting violence.
Even
when the TRC invited some of the principal actors and
players of the Liberian conflict and afforded them the forum
to say what they did, some of the callous and arrogant actors
did not have the "cojones"
to admit to their base behavior and ask for forgiveness
which was the right thing to do. They thumbed their
noses at the TRC, insulted, threatened and disrespected a
body which they agreed to in the first place in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Accra, Ghana.
If
the National Legislature and others are asking for
an editing of the TRC's
final report for the sale of national reconciliation, they
should remember then that the blood of the countless many who
were killed will continue to haunt them in their
offices, homes and personal lives for the rest of their
lives.
We
applaud the TRC Commissioners for doing their jobs fully. If
the powers that be in Liberia do not have the will to effect
the recommendations of the TRC, shame on us all.
