10 February 2008
opinion
Liberian stakeholders converged in Accra, Ghana and decided the way forward from chaos and bloodletting for durable peace, reconciliation, healing and justice in the country.That Accra forum in 2003 culminated in the formulation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which in recent times conducted series of public hearings where 73 testimonies were gathered in less than three weeks.
But one of the key actors in the Liberian crises, Jucontee Thomas Woewiyou, who pedaled the defunct National Patriotic Front through its dastardly bush war, has penned down his thoughts on the way that he perceives the wounds of yesteryears can be healed.
Thomas Woewiyou is calling on President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to voluntarily appear before the TRC as a way of lifting stormy clouds that will continue to haunt Liberians should key players in the Liberian wars fail to tell their stories.
The former President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate and spokesman and defense minister of the defunct National Patriotic Front of Charles Taylor insists that by the Liberian leader, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appearing before the TRC on her own volition and stating the roles she played in the protracted and horrific Liberian civil insurgency that allegedly killed over 300, 000 people, a great burden would be lifted from the shoulders of others to equally testify.
Referring to the precedent as having a domino effect on such greats of Liberia like Sawyer, Fahnbulleh, and Tipoteh amongst others, the former Senator of Grand Bassa county says the process would be emulative of the South African model of reconciliation, where Presidents Nelson Mandela and Frederik W. DeKlerk, appeared to speak the truth to free their consciences and to set laudable examples for the society.
But the controversial former president pro-tempore, who previously enraged the UP administration to the point of causing the President to launch a lawsuit against him during the formative days in 2006, has written a letter that is multi-dimensional and convoluted with its arrays of accusations.
For the benefit of our readers, The Analyst, has reproduced the letter:
An Open Letter to Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of the Republic of Liberia Executive Mansion Monrovia, Liberia Madam President.
This letter is to express the anguish that I and most Liberians are experiencing with the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as a direct result of the lackadaisical and inconsequential treatment given it by your administration.
The concept of the TRC was first introduced in a Resolution by the 51st Legislature and finally made part of the Accra Accords by the stakeholders in the Liberian conflict as a way of fostering genuine healing and reconciliation in the aftermath of many years of war, death and destruction. Based on the belief that the TRC's approach will produce a lasting-healing effect, Liberians and the International Community concluded that a War Crimes Tribunal or a prosecutory resolution to our problem would do nothing but exacerbate the pain and continue the anguish among the people. As you may be aware, all of the agreements made by the Parties to the Liberian conflict prior to 1997, carried full amnesty for the leaders and individual participants in the war, except for acts committed outside of combat. These agreements were fully endorsed by the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS).
Speak with knowledge and authority because I am a signatory to all of the above referenced agreements. Because Liberia has been ruled by the very tyrants, warlords, their sponsors and associates for the past 27 years, including you since from 1980, absolutely, no one has seen fit to address the issue of acts committed during these oppressive regimes and numerous wars, outside of combat in the Court of competent jurisdiction within the Republic of Liberia. There are certain crimes under Liberian Laws, including murder that has no statute of limitation. I am certain this is universal.
The framers of these agreements along with the International Bodies supporting them left a window for the Republic of Liberia to bring to justice people who may have committed crimes such as murder under the cloud of war or civil disturbance. Right of the top of my head, here are some murder cases that should be addressed under the criminal statutes of Liberia: The wanton murder of: Mr. Jackson F. Doe and Professor Yekeson, both of whom were the well publicized guests of Mr. Charles Taylor, then rebel leader; Mr. Michael Doe, killed at the Hotel Africa, not involved in any combat, Mr. Samuel K. Doe, who was no longer President by virtue of the ECOWAS decision to replace his (sic.) with the Sawyer Government. Records show that Doe was invited to the Peace Keepers Headquarters.
His living body was delivered to Mr. Prince Johnson, then Leader of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). The recorded and videoed detail of how Doe was slaughtered is around. There was no war involved. Even the smallest child in the Country knows that no amount of private negotiation between the family of Doe and those responsible for his gruesome death can negate the jurisdiction and authority of the Republic of Liberia to investigate as to whether a crime against the State has been committed. I beg to differ with Hon. Prince Johnson regarding his recent utterances concerning the Doe issue. The gruesome murder of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Dokie, the murder of John Yomie and Deputy Minister Vaye, numerous persons taken from places of refuge such as the Greystone Compound near the American Embassy in Monrovia and other internal refugee camps around the country who were murdered by their adopters, the beating to death of Isaac Gono, a driver, by Charles Taylor, Jr. and his body guards on the front step of Mr. Taylor's house and with his participation are very obvious cases that must be addressed from a government prospective (sic).
The list goes on but it suffices to say that if Liberia will restore itself to the Comity of Nations, it should be a country of law and not men. The issues surrounding the conflicts from 1979 to 1990 are so complex and compounded by the death of those who bear the greatest responsibilities and cannot participate in this healing process, i.e., Presidents Tolbert, Doe, etc. Who then are those in that era envisaged by the law that created the TRC proposes to forgive or be punished by the will of the President? The work of the TRC covering that very period has been further compounded and muddied up by the usual selfish, careless, wanton, callous and insensitive approach of your government to our complex social issues.
Had you been interested in genuine-lasting peace and reconciliation among all the people of the Republic of Liberia, and also, had you being conscious of the deep seated pain caused by the 135 years of minority domination of the Liberian society, a principal cause of the war, your Administration could have declared and sponsored a broad based National Mourning and Memorial Service across the country for the almost 300 thousand lives lost as a result of the 14-year civil war to include the two Presidents (Tolbert and Doe) that were killed under grotesque circumstances including the 13 Officials of government of the Tolbert Administration who were executed in 1980. Instead, your Administration supported a memorial service and erected monuments memorializing the lives of only the 13 Americo- Liberian or Congo Government Officials who were executed in 1980. What message did this act send to the rest of the Liberian People who are still mourning for the loss of 300 thousand of their relatives and fellow citizens?
Try cleaning that up when you get to the TRC. To the best of my understanding, the only parties to the Liberian conflicts who may not be covered by outright amnesty are the leaders of LURD & MODEL and their fighters. The Accra Peace Accord left their fates to the TRC that is currently in effect. Also to the best of our knowledge, no International body that we know of is seeking prosecutory action against anyone in these groups. They like all other Liberian liberators were encouraged and sponsored by some member of the so called International Community to employ force of arm to bring about political change in their country.
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