By our Reporter
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is on her latest visit to the United States at the invitation of the Clinton Presidential Library, but the US-based Coalition for Justice (CJL) has launched a protest against her visit claiming she “has trampled over the inalienable rights of war victims in Liberia.”
Reports quotes the University of Arkansas news media as saying, both the Clinton School of Public Service and the Clinton Foundation will host a conversation with the Liberian President Sirleaf at the next Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture series.
The Coalition for Justice (CJL) comprises a prominent Liberian human rights lawyer, Cllr. Fredrick Jayweh who is now residing in the US serving as Director of the Africa Centrer for Law and Human Rights, with Ms. Lovetta Tugbeh heading the Coalition.
“CJL vehemently protests the presence of President Sirleaf at your Institution who has trampled over the inalienable rights of war victims in Liberia. It baffles us that such person would be received and honored at Clinton School of Public Service to receive another undeserving award and recognition,” a CJL press statement issued this week has said.
“It is important to note that throughout President Sirleaf’s 12-year leadership, the issue of justice for war crimes victims in Liberia, was ignored and never given prominence as critical to bringing about genuine peace, reconciliation and assuring post-conflict stability in the nation.”
“The 14-years brutal civil war caused the deaths of an estimated 250,000 Liberians and other foreigners, many of whom were vulnerable women and children. In addition, the war resulted in the destruction of the economy and caused half a million Liberians to be displaced in foreign countries, has made genuine peace and stability a far-fetched reality,” the CJL statement said.
Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2010 submitted its report to the Liberian government after investigating the root causes of the brutal civil war and recommended prosecution for those who bear the greatest responsibility for the death and mayhem.
The TRC also recommended 30 years political sanctions of other categories of war actors who financed and assisted the rebel war first led by Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), which Sirleaf admitted in a TRC hearing that she initially contributed US$10,000.00 towards.
So far, nothing has been done to implement this aspect of the TRC report, as not a single warlord and perpetrator has been held accountable or any transitional justice mechanism been put in place. In addition, the Liberian government has said that it didn’t have the resources to provide reparation for war victims, many of whom have been left to nurse their wounds over the years.
But in its statement, the CJL believes that President Sirleaf, who has been in power for nearly 12 years now, has not addressed the question of justice regarding atrocities committed during Liberia’s 14 years civil war which officially ended in 2003.
Therefore the CJL says such honour by the Clinton Foundation and the University of Arkansas “contradicts, defeats and derails the purpose of the late Frank and Kula Kumpuris who believed, “…that through understanding, teaching, and discussion, the world could be a better place.”
“While CJL is fully cognizant and appreciative of the fact that the country has enjoyed relative peace over the last 12 years, we are deeply concerned that much has not been done by President Sirleaf who leaves office in a little over a month, to strengthen the foundation of peace and stability Liberia desperately needs,” the CJL further said.
There has so far been no reaction from the Liberian presidency.
Since her election as President in 2005, Sirleaf has received tons of international award from across the world with the highest being the Nobel Peace Prize she won several years ago.