allAfrica.com: Liberia: Liberian National Reconciliation Efforts At a Critical Crossroad (Page 1 of 1)

After accusing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of shying away from those the Daily Observer calls the "Major Actors" of the Liberian civil war, the Liberian people and world community would, if all goes as planned, soon hear from this group of high profile Liberians whose names are closely associated with the Liberian tragedy.

People like Senator Prince Johnson, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Dr. George Boley, Alijah Kromah, Sekou Damate Conneh, Dr. H. Boimah Fahnbulleh, and Dr. Amos Sawyer, among others, are expected to begin appearing before the TRC in August. As a result of their testimonies, it is quite possible the TRC would be compelled to call others whose names heretofore have not been publicly connected with the war.

The scheduled appearances before the TRC of the so-called "Big Fishes" of our national tragedy is welcome news; the truth of what happened in the country during the civil war and the years preceding the war must be laid bare before the public and be fully documented. In discussing national reconciliation in my book, "Witness, the Hand of God in the Liberian Civil War", I argued that "One of the non-negotiables of the Liberian reconciliation efforts should be truth..." Truth-telling is essential to bringing about the healing that the country desperately needs. But while I supported and encouraged truth-telling through the TRC process, I also warned that the process would be "fraught with danger", carrying with it the potential to "throw the nation into a tailspin and make worse an already bad situation." While I am excited that finally we will hear from the horses' mouths, it is my opinion that the scheduled appearances before the TRC of the so-called "Big Fishes" carry with them such potential. Whether or not we reach this precipice depends to a very large extent on those who will be appearing. I write this piece not only to highlight the potential danger but also and more importantly to suggest how the danger could be avoided.

None of us can accurately predict what the outcome of these high profile actors' appearing before the TRC would be. On the one hand, these actors could see their appearances before the TRC as opportunities to help heal the nation. As such, they will level with the Liberian people, telling us in simple and unambiguous terms what they know about our national tragedy and what their roles were. They would be completely truthful, admit errors in judgment, and sincerely apologize where their actions and/or decisions contributed to the death of other Liberians and the destruction of the nation.

On the other hand, the appearances of these "Big Fishes" could raise more questions than answers. These major actors could choose to trivialize the whole national reconciliation process by intellectualizing their testimonies, playing on words, and hiding behind a veil of technicalities. If the testimonies of some of the better known names who have appeared before the TRC thus far is anything to go by, I am afraid that such an outcome is a real possibility, and thus the danger. And it would be a grave mistake, in my opinion, if this were to happen. Such an outcome would only create more anger and frustration, and diminish the prospects for genuine reconciliation and the healing of the nation. The ultimate result would be an uncertain future for the nation.

The power of the TRC process, in my opinion, lies in two things: Truth and Remorse. Reconciliation cannot occur on a foundation of falsehood, especially when the issue which one is being less than truthful about is public knowledge. And there is no redemption in truth-telling about committing an evil, or erring in judgment if telling that truth is not accompanied by genuine remorse and a sincere desire to make amends.

But to have the desired effect, truth-telling and remorsefulness must not only be obvious to the one being confronted, in this case those accused of complicity in our national tragedy. The truth being told and the remorsefulness being expressed must be obvious to the victims and the general public. Therefore, the challenge that these "Big Fishes" face as they appear before the TRC, in my opinion, is to present testimonies that will be relevant, truthful, and credible. More importantly, where their actions and or decisions contributed to the destruction of the country, their testimonies must be accompanied by a deep sense of remorse that would be evident to even those of us who will simply read them.

The scheduled appearances before the TRC of the so-called "Big Fishes" must be seen by all concerned as a major crossroad in our effort to set Liberia sailing on a calmer sea. This will mark a crucial point in our understanding of our national tragedy and determine whether or not we will come together and sacrifice to rebuild our nation or become more polarized with intensified calls for punitive measures or retributive justice.

Much has been written about the complicity of many of those who will be appearing before the TRC in August. If they have not already done so, the commissioners of the TRC would be well advised to research this information in order to confront the various witnesses who will be appearing. Also, those Liberians and friends of Liberia who have first-hand knowledge of the complicity of these major actors would be doing a great national service by bringing forth their evidence.

The clouds that continue to hang over the heads of many of our national leaders, including the President, have seriously handicapped the reconciliation effort. These clouds have robbed the national leadership of the moral authority it needs to bring the nation together. Nelson Mandela could tell his fellow South Africans to forgive because he himself epitomized a forgiving spirit; he had the moral authority.

Because of the lack of national leadership the reconciliation process has become a one dimensional undertaking. Reconciling the nation now seems to be the burden of the TRC instead of a truly national effort headed by our national leadership under the commandership of the president. Almost three years after the president assumed the stewardship of the nation, I know of no government program for national reconciliation outside of the TRC process. The few instances when the president mentioned reconciliation in her speeches and reports, her comments almost always came across as afterthoughts rather than discussions of a national emergency deserving serious attention.

The forthcoming appearances before the TRC should provide a glorious opportunity for the president and our other national leaders to remove this cloud that hangs over their heads and thereby pave the way for them to play a more assertive and visible role in the country's reconciliation effort. The President must begin using the bully pulpit of the presidency to rally the nation to build broken bridges and heal the deep wounds of the war. But she cannot do so effectively as long as many Liberians continue to believe that she made significant contributions to the destruction of the country, but remains unrepentant and is less than candid. John Maxwell's Law No. 14 - The Law of Buy-in - of his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is real: people buy into the leader, then the vision (message). Genuine reconciliation is central to the long-term peace and stability of the nation. No price must be too high to pay in order to bring the nation together.

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