26 June 2009
In the closing stage of the Liberian civil war, when Monrovia was under siege and the elected government of President Charles Taylor threw in the towel, Liberian peace stakeholders then meeting in Accra, Ghana, to rescue the nation resolved to stop fighting and seek reconciliation. They chose the palava-hut style true telling, forgiveness seeking, forgiveness granting, and fence-mending process to peace, reconciliation, and stability. They rejected the search for justice through prosecution and reparation exacting, not because they disdained justice, but because prosecution in such volatile postwar environment would be cumbersome and strife-generating. But a TRC-sponsored "National Reconciliation Conference" voted last week to "prosecute all warring faction leaders and their lieutenants", calling it a general consensus amongst Liberians. But already the so-called "consensus" for the way forward is presenting as a basis for bringing the credibility of the Commission under spotlight. Our Roving Staffer, reports.
Lofa County Rep. Malian Jallabah has admonished Liberia's peace partners and facilitators to guide and monitor closely the programs and activities of the TRC lest Liberia slips back to strife rather than move forward with peace and reconciliation.
Rep. Jallabah issued the admonition, Wednesday this week, when she addressed a press conference in Monrovia to "speak on issues of national importance".
She told newsmen that as the result of certain documents issued by the Commission, it was clear now that the activities of the TRC under Mr. Jerome Verdier have led to the creation of a dangerous climate for peace, which if it is not stopped, could run Liberia into another civil crisis.
The Lofa County legislator specifically called on the United States, the European Union, China, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to pay attention to the mounting tension in Monrovia and certain parts of the country as a result of threats coming from the TRC under Jerome Verdier.
She said instead of bringing lasting peace to Liberia, the TRC might end up destroying the prospects for genuine reconciliation and harmony.
"If there will be durable peace, it will not come from the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in its present character," she said.
The Lofa County lawmaker said it was evident that the Chairman of the Commission and a couple of other commissioners were not concerned about maintaining peace in Liberia.
Rather, she said, the conduct of Chairman Verdier and two of his colleagues were promoting the kind of injustice that led to the 1979 Rice Riots, the military takeover of 1980, and the civil war.
She did not elaborate; but she claimed that the just-ended National Reconciliation Conference organized by Mr. Verdier did not reconcile anyone, as there were no parties or groups present at the conference to be reconciled.
She said the meeting, which included delegates mostly selected by the TRC itself, was mainly intended to endorse a political decision already made by politicians in Monrovia and the United States working through some TRC commissioners to exclude their political rivals from the 2011 national elections.
"No Liberian has the legal authority or right to exclude anyone from any elections," she said, apparently in reference to Count 10 of the TRC Virginia Declaration.
Count 10 states: "…perpetrators who committed crimes against humanity should not be elected or appointed for public office."
The Lofa Representative repeated that if anyone was to be prosecuted, it must be across the board, including all those who participated in the various crises, starting from 1979 to the present.
"Since this group will involve nearly all prominent Liberians, it is simply preferable to push on with the peace initiatives that were going on before the TRC was set up," she said.
Madame Jallabah said Liberia was facing more difficult problems of development and it would only get worse and dangerous if some Liberians were allowed to manipulate the nation into chaos.
She said she would not only continue to speak publicly against any activity that will undermine peace in Liberia, but she would also join others to mobilize those Liberians who want action for the way forward.
On comments made by Mr. Anthony Kesselly who she said claims to be speaking for Liberians in the United States in recommending prosecution in Liberia during the reconciliation Conference, Representative Jallabah said Mr. Kesselly does not represent the majority of Liberians in the United States.
She said she has received a lot of messages from Liberians in the United States condemning Mr. Kesselly's statement.
Madame Jallabah said Anthony Kesselly was part of the political clique in Monrovia plotting to undermine the prospects of their political rival through the TRC.
She said a prominent member of the TRC and Kesselly were all part of the Interim government of Amos Sawyer that organized the Black Beret and participated in the armed conflict.
She said it is sad and unfortunate that these individuals would be the ones talking in the name of justice but actually working for their political sponsors.
The Lofa Lawmaker ended by again alerting Liberians and the international community to be decisive in preventing another chaos in Liberia.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Most of the folks that were involved in the civil conflict and I am speaking of the major players have far too often sided with reconcillation only. They would rather we forget those whose lives were destroyed as a direct result of the war. We have to speak for those that are no longer with us as well as all who were affected directly by the senseless killing in the conflict. Milian Jallabah's fear mongering and subtle threat of destablilization is not the first of its kind. We have heard Kromah's take on the same topic and they carry the same tone. The finger pointing should indicate that the proponents are not reconciled themselves but would rather we let sleeping dogs lie. I applaud the TRC'S recommendations and hope that we move thru the legal process of prosecution to hold those accountable for the sake of the future of our nation. The cycle of impunity has to end somwhere. A representative of Lofa would be eager to bring justice to those who were murdered. Remember Lofa was an occupied County during this conflict and there are those who would prefer that we remain silent.
Gracias and muchas gracias madam Jallabah. You have just lost your next election, if indeed you become eligible. I will personally make sure you are ineligible or lose your next election. I do not know who you are or the district you represent in Lofa County but, I'm convienced that you represent the interest of hoologans along with those who raped and killed innocent civilians in Liberia, especially in Lofa County.
Francis King Maryland, USA
So-called "madam jallabah" might have family members who are among the people to face war crimes and crimes against humanity or she is sleeping with one of them.Or she is simply just stupid.
Thanks someone is speaking some sense .The western concept of retributive justice is always a failed concept in our enviroments not because we're callous, uncivilised ,but our prepection of genuine reconciliation is founded in our traditional value system whereby you're shamed and scolded in public .I've warned that unless the TRC nip the idea of the silly kind of the failed Sierra Leone type International criminal court system charade ,Liberia stands at the brink of another calamity. The Western concept has always failed to import from our past history and their traditional dis-stabilising role in africa when initiating policies .
Though i loathe Yumi Johnson and others yet ,any attempt to reopen the raw woulds in that saga will colapse without the desired result . where would be Sirleaf if perperators and sponsors/finaciers are drawn inot legal battles on perpetration ,aiding and abetting of treason . The idea is chaotic and let the phrase 'those bearing the highest burden' of this and that don't fool anyone- the consequence will be devastating.
my name is mr. francis kesseh jr. Liberia has been my home all my life until 1990 when i was force to leave that beatiful country that i love very much. My comment is for Madame Jallabah, we liberian's have suffer for a long time because of the civil war and what it did to the lives of our people. I you saying because of fear that our belove country might go back in to civil war so the TRC should not bring those perpetrators to justic? You thing fear rules this country? I believed death is a part of living and if u and other liberian say you are in the best interest of the liberian people you will not say that about the TRC trying to do the job that every liberian agree to in the beginning. I love that nation and will always try to do my best for our people. please help to bring justic to the people of liberia and give the TRC the support they need. Thanks Madame Jallabah for your heard work and may good bless you.
Hi justice seekers, you don't remember the long way you have come with. You cry for rice in 1979,native women born soldiers in 1980,you killed good people,you bring trbal war in 1989,you killed my ma,you killed my pa, I will vote for you in 1997,then you turn and vote for Mrs.kill everybody in monrovia,level ground,kill innocents.Is now you think to get justice?Goodluck,the next war youself going be kill,you dead brains.
Miss.Representative, Rhetoric and threat will not deter justice.