7 July 2009
"We are saddened and disappointed by the final report of the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This report falls short of the vision, mandate, spirit and intent of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) negotiated and signed in Accra, Ghana, on 16th August 2003." This is how former warlords in the Liberian conflict or signatories to the CPA responded the report released by the TRC.
The former warlords acting under the aegis of 'Principal Signatories' to the CPA which gave rise to the formation of the TRC as a vehicle to reconcile Liberians, recalled why and what the CPA meant for Liberia.
They claimed the CPA came into being on the basis that Liberians would be allowed to manage and keep peace amongst themselves, work together to heal their troubled land, reconcile genuinely with each other and foster an ambiance of security, stability and long term prosperity.
But from all indications, the former warlords or signatories to the CPA are of the belief that those aspirations and anticipations have become murky as evident by the TRC report which among other things called for their prosecution and/or other reprimands.
At a major press conference held yesterday at the Monrovia City Hall, the ex-warlords namely Prince Y. Johnson of the defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) (not a signatory to the CPA), Joe Gbala of the defunct Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Thomas Yaya Nimely of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), Jackson E. Doeas of LURD, George Dweh of LURD, Lewis Brown, Roland Duo and Sando Johnson of the NFPL/Govt Forces) said the CPA which berthed the TRC was a "product of individual and collective sacrifices, a sacrifice in lives, in blood, in sweat, and in tears of thousands of Liberians."
Still providing reasons why the CPA out of which the TRC originated, the so-called signatories in a position statement observed that it was the result of what they called "faith, an abiding faith in the future of sustainable peace, national healing and genuine reconciliation."
In the mind of the former warlords, the TRC by the recommendations it made did not do justice to the intent of the CPA which brought it into being.
"It was an absolute recognition of such sacrifices and faith that we, the principal signatories to the CPA, supported by ECOWAS, the international community and other actors, agreed to provide for a truth and reconciliation commission, a forum through which alleged perpetrators and alleged victims would be afforded the useful opportunity to come together under an atmosphere of forgiveness and healing," the statement quoted them as saying.
Apart from giving reasons why they agreed to formulate the TRC, they also took into consideration other significant issues.
According to the alleged human rights violators, they are not deterred by the action of the TRC to engage into acts contrary to the expectations of the Liberian people.
They accordingly assured Liberians of their unflinching commitment to upholding the tenets of peace in spite of the "attitude of the 'Verdier Commission.'
"We remain unfailingly committed to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation, security and stability of our country. We who fought for and died on the battlefields have agreed to lay down our weapons in exchange for peace, healing, forgiveness and reconciliation. We who witnessed and experienced the deaths of bullets and rockets, by hunger and starvation of our loved ones have overwhelmingly agreed to bury the past in favor of better future," the former warlords or signatories to the CPA indicated.
Among other things in the worded statement, the TRC indictees said "We have come too far – the Liberian people have come too far – to turn back now. We look at the statistics of Liberians favorable to forgiving and forgetting and are convinced that our faith must remain strong; our hope is well-founded, and the general will of the Liberian people point clearly toward peace, healing and reconciliation."
As per their disappointment, the group indicated how did not "naively envisage the truth and reconciliation commission to be a forum of unbiased Liberians who are otherwise unassociated with the conflict."
"We did not see a commission that would abrogate responsibilities unto themselves to pass judgments and sentences – no such power ought to exist where minds are awash with prejudices and hands are stained. We did not seek to create a commission that would not afford accused Liberians the opportunity to confront their accusers and or the evidence of their alleged wrongdoing. We were certainly not persuaded to provide for a commission that would take on the role of selectively offering pardons for a to its friends, political allies and affiliates while seeking to unjustifiably malign and denigrate others," the signatories said.
Meanwhile, Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County, one of those recommended for prosecution, said they would not subscribe to any "unorthodox means" to have them arrested.
He said he stood for peace, loved the Liberian people but will not bow to anything contrary to peace.
Roland Duo, formerly of the NPFL told reporters that "no body will arrest them because if you are arresting one, you are equally arresting all."
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OH WELL! LIBERIANS ARE DISAPPOINTED IN THEM--THAT'S WHAT MATTER. THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR FEELING WHEN THEY WERE SAUGHTERING LIBERIANS AT WILL.
THEY NEED TO SEE THEIR DAYS IN COURT. ENOUGH OF THE WORN-OUT "BYGONE" COMMENTS!!!!!!!
Wow, wow, wow....So really these people who took away so many innocent lives can just think that they can be forgiven that easy. Well I got news for them, think again because the dead has spoken through the power vested in the TRC. As many may know when the dead speaks it means business. Liberia is one country in this world that I know will elect notorious criminals and murderer like Sen. Johnson to an appointed office. I wish that they all face justice and all of them rot in hell. God is a merciful God but some of those… [Read Full Text]
It's no need to threaten others of your past activities.The Liberian people have the right to blame those who contributed to the carnage in Liberia. Eventhough,the Accra Agreement did not call for what the TRC is today advocating for those who destroyed the lIBERIAN PEOPLE.All they(war criminals)can do is to ask for forgiveness from the Liberian people.Don't demonstrate your old deeds to the people again.
I think most of those listed in the documents presented by the TRC were really freedom fighters. Like Prince Johnson, he indeed did fight for a real cost by killing a president whose administration was considered brutal, criminal, selfish, and notorous just to name a few. The former president killed by P.Y. Johnson was internationally known for being crual and a killer of his own people. The gun that took him to the mansion took him from there.
Having said this though, let's take a big look at what caused us to fall and not at where we… [Read Full Text]
Yes, lords of war, you will be afforded the opportunity to confront your accusers and the evidence of wrongdoing in the court of law. This is your chance and nothing less. Did you guys really think that after all the atrocious acts and mayhem committed to the women and children of Liberia will be dust into the bin of history? We await you guys individually in the court of law. Be prepared to vindicate yourself because our evidence is overwhelming.