By Politico staff writer
Liberia’s long wait for a war crimes court is over after President Joseph Boakai signed an Executive Order for the establishment of an Office of a War and Economic Crimes Court.
The move has been welcomed by the United States, the European Union, and the regional grouping ECOWAS, more than two decades after the end of the country’s brutal civil war that left some 250,000 people dead.
“The United States firmly supports Liberia’s establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court and stands ready to assist all Liberians as it moves forward,” US Embassy Chargé d’affaires Catherine Rodriguez said in a statement. She praised President Boakai for what she described as a historic and courageous step.
EU Member States present in Liberia namely France, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden, in a joint statement, said: “The EU and its Member States welcome these decisions taken by the Government and Legislature of Liberia contributing to the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’’.
ECOWAS’ Resident Representative in Liberia Josephine Nkrumah said it was the business of the media, other stakeholders, and the citizenry, not just the government, for the process to succeed. She commended President Boakai for being bold to sign the executive order. “One of the important steps I would love to see is deliberate and intentional psych-social support to war victims and indeed to the Liberian society because we know that trauma can be transferred therefore the healing of the nation is key to finding lasting peace and stability for the economic development in Liberia,” Nkrumah said.
Human rights activist Adama Kiatamba Dempster reacting to the latest development said “We will repair the harm that was done to Liberia, and we will think no more about war and we as a people, we will no longer choose war over peace. The fact that under this administration, they have kick-started the initiative, we are positive that we are moving toward closing the culture of impunity in Liberia.”
The House of Representatives and the Senate had earlier approved for such a court, after initial opposition by notably Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson who was one of the warlords during the Liberian civil war. The setting up of the court was a key recommendation of Liberia’s post-conflict Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Fighting broke out in 1989 between the forces of President Samuel Kanyon Doe and the rebel National Patriotic Forces of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor. Numerous splinter groups emerged in the course of the war. President Doe was brutally killed allegedly by forces under the command of Prince Johnson.
Charles Taylor who later became elected President left Liberia after another upsurge in fighting, following a brokered deal. But he was indicted by the Special Court in Sierra Leone for his support for rebel forces that ravaged the country for 11 years.
He was transferred from Nigeria to The Hague and tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity and later imprisoned for 55 years. He is serving his sentence in the UK.
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