The Civil Rights Institute of Liberia, appreciates
the fact that the Catholic Church of Liberia has
join the call for the creation of an International
Criminal Tribunal for the prosecution of those
responsible for human rights abuse committed during
the Liberian civil war.
You
will recall that during the Liberian civil war,
thousands of innocent civilians were murdered, some
execution style, while others were beheaded often in
the presence of loved ones. Thousands of women and
girls as young as 9 years old were raped or held as
sex slaves while arson, looting, the use of child
soldiers and other forms of human rights abuse
including torture were commonplace.
The
concept of the South African style Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, which resulted from the
Accra Peace Agreement of 2003, pose a series of
problems, which are potential danger to the path to
Justice, Peace and Reconciliation in our society.
You will recall that the concept of the TRC came
about as a result of a mutual agreement in Accra,
Ghana among the warring parties involved in the
violation of the sacred and fundamental rights of
the Liberian People; the right to Life, Liberty and
the Pursuit of Happiness.
Upon
the return to Monrovia of the warlords, their
handpicked Representatives in the Transitional
Legislative Assembly who constituted the majority in
the assembly enacted the bill that gave “birth”
to the TRC.
Contrary
to the South African approach to the concept of
Truth and Reconciliation, the warlords and or their
surrogates created the Liberian TRC, while the
democratically elected Government of South Africa,
and not the apartheid regime or its surrogates
created the commission.
The
TRC
Hearings
Common
sense should have held for Commissioners Johns
Stewart and Kafumba Konneh to excuse themselves from
the witness stand when Oscar Quiah, Dr. Togba Nah
Tipoteh, Jesus Alieu Swaray, Chea Cheapoo, and H.
Boima Fahnbullah testified before the commission.
Commissioner
Stewart, like his fellow comrades, Dusty Wolokollie,
W. Communy B. Wesseh, James Logan, James Yarseah,
Jesean and Gayflorson, participated in the planning
and execution of the April 14 demonstration; not as
a MOJA or PAL Representative or member, but either
as Representatives of LINSU (The Liberian National
Student Union) ULSU, (University of Liberia student
Union), The All People’s Freedom Alliance or The
Student Unification Party (SUP) of the University of
Liberia.
So
to have Commissioner Stewart participate in the
hearing as a Commissioner, when the April 14 episode
was being discussed is conflict of interest. For
Commissioner Kafumba Konneh, to even sit on the
Commission when Former Minister of State without
Portfolio, Jesus Alieu Swaray of ULIMO testified is
yet another case of conflict of interest.
Half
-Truths, Fictions and Out Right Cover-Ups
Recent
testimonies before the TRC have been characterized
by half- truths, fictions and out right cover-ups by
some of the witnesses, as some tried to make heroes
of themselves out of the suffering of the Liberian
people. We did not hear from witness Jesus Alieu
Swaray’s role in the early days of ULIMO, and the
financial contributions made out of the account of
the Job Security Scheme Corporation, (JOBSSCO)
Insurance Company operated in the 1980s by J. Alieu
Swaray and Michael Yeah.
We
also did not hear Dr. H. Boima Fahnbullah speak
about the fate of his fighters who were housed in
Freetown at a local hotel opposite the Ministerial
Building near the Liberian Embassy, and were then
taken into custody at the Pardambar Road Prison in
Freetown, Sierra Leone; one hundred of whom were
murdered by the Sierra Leonean Security Forces. One
of the survivors is Hon. Jefferson Kanboh, now a
member of the House of Representatives, District No.
3, Sinoe County Liberia. How can Dr. Fahnbulleh try
to cover up the murder of such a large number of
other people’s children?
The murder of more than 400, 000 innocent
people and the complete destruction of the
nation’s infrastructure can not be resolved by
simply appearing before some TRC, and walking away
unpunished.
Liberians, this is the time for you to voice
out your demand for an International Criminal
Tribunal to avoid revisiting the past. The choice is
yours.
Thanks,
Amb.
Nathaniel O. Beh
Executive
Director
_____________________________________________________________
P.O. Box 63082, Philadelphia, PA. 19114, www.cri-liberia.org,
Tel: 215-873-6160
