As The INCHR Welcomes Establishment Of War Crimes Court
PHOTO: Cllr. Dempster Brown, INCHR Chairperson
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia-The Chairperson of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) is accusing the former Liberia Peace Council (LPC) rebel leader, Dr. George Boley of killing his mother during the civil war in Liberia, but he has not yet reacted to the claim.
“My mother was murdered by George Boley”s LPC. Today I don’t know where was she buried. I can’t locate her grave,” Cllr. Dempster Brown claims. The civil war officially ended in 2003, with an estimated 250,000 people killed by various armed factions during the 14 years of fratricidal conflict.
Cllr. Brown attacked on Boley comes after some of the major rebel leaders threatening to instigate violence against the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in the country to investigate those involved with the war Speaking on Thursday, March 7, during a press conference to express his commission support to the establishment of the war and economic crimes court, Cllr. Brown vowed to mobilize Liberian to arrest anyone rebel leaders that would attempt to disrupt the process.
“Those who are threatening our lives and that of the Liberian people are making a very big mistake. Because one morning you will hear that we have picked them up and take them before the International Criminal Court for prosecution,” Brown Warns warlord from making threatening statements against Liberian.
“We will not allow anymore lawless in this country. I will not sit down here to allow them to kill armless people anymore,” the INCHR chair noted. Pointing to his commission decision to support the establishment of the courts. Brown said. because in the absence of justice for the victims and perpetrators the country will not prosper.
Touching on assertion by some of the warlords that they were amnesty during the presidency of late Mose Blah, after the departure of former and jailed President Charles Taylor, Cllr. Brown argued that though they were rewarded with amnesty, but that cannot work in the interest of those that committed genocide and crime against humanity.
Supporting his argument, Cllr Brown said. In 2000, then Secretary General of the United Nations said, he recognized that amnesty is an accepted legal concept and a gesture of peace and Reconciliation at the end of a civil war or an internal armed conflict.
“The UN has consistently maintained the position that amnesty cannot be granted in respect of international crimes, such as genocide crime against humanity or other serious violation of international humanitarian law,” Brown said, arguing “Liberia is signatory to those convention and we will respect their letters to the fullest.
We will ensure that Justice is done to the victims of the civil war so that we can turn a new page in our country.
“In 2010, Boley was detained in the US over reported immigration charges.] The former leader of the Liberian Peace Council (LPC) who committed human rights abuses during the Liberian civil war in the 1990s was deported to Liberia in March 2012, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who investigated the human rights allegation and win the former warlord’s removal from the United States. In the 2017 national election, Boley was elected to the house of Representatives in Liberia.