Schaack also commends the work of the Liberian human rights organization, the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), which has worked with its Swiss partner, Civitas Maxima (CM) to document the alleged crimes of Liberian warlords.
Their work has seen the direct or indirect prosecutions and convictions of many individuals for their roles during the wars. Some of them include Kunti Kamara, a former battlefront commander of the United Liberation Movement for Democracy, (Ulimo), who was sentenced by a French criminal court last month to lifetime in prison for complicity in crimes against humanity, torture and aggravated acts of barbarism and Alieu Kosiah, another former Ulimo commander who was sentenced in June 2021 by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court to 20 years in jail for war crimes. The court's appeal chamber is however hearing Kosiah's case beginning next month, January.
In 2018, Mohammed Jabateh, commonly known as "Jungle Jabbah" another former Ulimo commander was sentenced to 30 years in jail for perjury and immigration fraud by a US district court in Philadelphia. Tom Woewiyu, number two to Charles Taylor, a former Liberian President, in Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia structure was also convicted of perjury and immigration fraud by a district court in Philadelphia. But he died of Covid in 2020, as he awaited his sentence.
Schaack acknowledges the organizations' work.
"These cases would not be possible without the amazing work of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP) and other Liberian and international civil society actors who have rigorously, reliably, and with unwavering integrity worked to keep the dream of justice alive," says Schaack. "Liberians can be proud of the work of their compatriots in the GJRP who are working hard to support war crimes accountability."
Liberians have also largely praised the two organizations for pushing for accountability for past crimes.
But the GJRP and CM have come in for rebukes, mainly from alleged perpetrators, including Agnes Reeves Taylor, Taylor's ex-wife, Kamara and Kosiah who have questioned their credibility and accused them of coaching and bribing witnesses. Some witnesses during the trial of Gebril Massaquoi, a Sierra Leonean rebel leader, prosecuted in Finland for his alleged atrocities in Liberia's second civil war, also made the same charges against the human rights organizations. But they have repeatedly denied such allegations.
Schaack raises concern about threats against Bility and his staff. She does not however name those who are making such alleged threats but wants the matter to claim the attention of all Liberians.
"They should also be concerned, as am I, that the GJRP's work has resulted in threats and intimidation against their staff members."
Bility agrees with Schaack that it's time to end impunity for past crimes and commends her for singling them out.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"I am motivated by the fact that the US is standing with us firmly," says Bility in a WhatsApp message to us. "I believe we are doing a good job and I'm happy for the recognition coming the the US."
But just like Ambassador Schaack, Bility makes no identification of who has allegedly threatened him, or his workers.
"Without naming names, because this is legal matter, the threats come from those who oppose justice and accountability in Liberia," he says. "Those who murdered innocent Liberians and want to go with impunity. They are those who have been prosecuted and their allies, as well as those who think they could get prosecuted.They come from all disnaded factions. But some are more intense than others. Honestly, I have no clues."
Bility does not also want to comment on whether bribery allegations against them by witnesses in Massaquoi's trial could gain traction with juries in the US, where Moses Wright and Sekou Kamara, alias "K-1" are expected to go on trial later in 2023.
"I can't comment on the Massaquoi case because it's ongoing," he says.
Bility is currently in Brussels, Belgium attending the European Union NGO Forum on Human Rights under the theme: "Stop Impunity." Bility and the over 200 delegates at the conference, including from the US, Europe and Africa are discussing war crimes evidence collection/gathering.
This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of its West Africa Justice Reporting Project.
