PHOTO: Flashback on some of Liberia’s former war actors
A grouping of rights and advocacy organizations under the banner, Conscious Citizens United Against Impunity and for the establishment of war and economic crimes court are to shortly stage a peaceful mass gathering, in the quest to increase awareness raising calling for the war crimes court to be established, Justice Forum Liberia has disclosed.
One of Africa’s worst civil war, the Liberian armed conflict started on December24, 1989 with an invasion from neighbouring Ivory Coast led by Charles Ghankay Taylor and his National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), who ferociously attacked the forces of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe and reached Monrovia in 1990. Bands of NPFL rebels, who were described as “freedom fighters” by some of their political backers, left atrocities in their wake, something that triggered a mushrooming of rebel groups who committed similar atrocities, plunging Liberia into 14 years of bloodbath.
Executive Director for the lead organization, Justice Forum LIBERIA, the main idea for this gathering is to give voice to a cross section of citizens who are in support for such call, including direct victims as well as survivors of massacres, says the justice organization in a press by its Executive Director Maxson Kpakio on May 4, 2021.
The massacre survivors and direct victims will share their stories and answer the question as to why do they want a war crimes court to be established for Liberia and to also appreciate all lawmakers who signed the resolution calling for said establishment.
Although the 210 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report called for justice to be served the victims of the 14 years of carnage, both the former government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the current regime of CDC’s Goerge Manneh Weah have to date failed to bring the perpetrators to book.
Mr. Kpakio told Journalists during a press conference in Monrovia this week that that the planned May 18 gathering will be a day-long affair that will also remember the estimated 250,000 people killed during the 14 years civil conflict in Liberia.
He disclosed further that the peaceful gathering will be held on the ground of the Capitol Building and he is therefore admonishing all those coming to the peaceful gathering to wear either black or white as mourners.