William Selmah,wselmah@gmail.com
In yet another latest sign that the setting up of an ad hoc criminal court for Liberia is in the offing, President George Weah has written the House of Representatives asking lawmakers’ guidance on the way forward.
The letter, dated September 12, 2019, expressed the president’s commitment to the setting up of the court.
Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) set up in the aftermath of the civil war recommended the establishment of an Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal for Liberia and listed individuals, corporations, and institutions recommended for further investigation and prosecution.
In total, it recorded 124,225 violations suffered by individual victims, 39,376 suffered by groups, and 14 by institutions – all perpetrated by mainly groups including warring factions, military and paramilitary agencies and of course peacekeepers serving with ECOMOG.
Some of those pointed out in that report are serving in legislative and executive positions in the current government including Senators Prince Johnson, Dan Marias, and Oscar Cooper.
“As President of the Republic of Liberia…do hereby call on the National Legislature to advise and provide guidance on all legislative and other necessary measures towards the implementation of the TRC report, including the establishment of the Economic and War Crimes Courts,” Weah said in his letter to the House of Representatives.
The President’s communication to lawmakers followed recent recommendation from the recent Economic Dialogue and another from the Council of Chiefs and Elders for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court.
“I’m not surprised by the President’s communication,” said former TRC Commissioner John H. Stewart.
The President will shortly be addressing the UN General Assembly, where Stewart added, he is expected to report on progress in addressing atrocities committed during the country’s civil conflict.
He believes “that communication to the House will feature in his progress report”.
An estimated 250,000 Liberians died during the civil conflict, which also saw around one million internally and externally displaced.