Voice of Liberia

Liberia’s Laundry List to genuine Truth and Reconciliation

Tamba D. Aghailas | May 16, 2008

 

As the world’s attention gradually shifts away from Liberia, as compared to the time when warring factions battled for control of Monrovia in the 1990s and lastly in 2003, the war-ravaged nation is struggling to find a sound strategy to achieving sustainable justice and development.

 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has undertaken a gigantic task – taking statements from both victims and perpetrators of that country’s decade-long war, documenting, archiving atrocities committed, and shall make recommendations to the people of Liberia as to how to deal with the aftermath of war crimes and atrocities. This exercise has the propensity to either bring about sustainable peace to Liberia or otherwise. Let me not be the judge.

 

The current government is struggling to find the right dose of policies and claims a lack of qualified professionals to carry out the vast redevelopment program. It seems disoriented in its approach.

 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) once said that “Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.”

 

For Liberians, this statement may hold true, especially as the country rebuilds itself after more than a decade of bloodletting carried out by various warring factions, some soft advice resonates among Liberians. Here is a non-exhaustive laundry list of soft advice, if adhered to, shall allow each and every peace-loving woman, man or child the chance to genuine truth and reconciliation in post-war Liberia.

 

1)   Clean up “The Truth and Reconciliation Commission - TRC”

 

If the work of the TRC is to succeed, it will be in the interest of the nation for every Liberian, especially high profile individuals, to come clean, as to their roles, responsibilities and support of the civil war. The TRC is drumming up its awareness campaigns both at home and abroad to encourage testimonials both from victims and perpetrators. Doing this may require courage and guts to come forward to give one’s testimony, yet it could be the best thing you ever did for yourself and for your country.

 

The work of the TRC may have been marginalized by a series of events lately; and the most notably: in-fighting and disagreements among sitting commissioners (Bull takes case to High Court after suspension). Not only, there is no clear article of responsibilities, President Ellen Johnson also got involved in the melee of Commissioner Bulls’ suspension, stating that the TRC didn’t have the power to suspend one of its commissioners; a palpable sign of confusion and a quest for control of this body by interest groups.

 

The intrusion by the Executive Branch of government in the decision making of the TRC, which supposed to be an independent entity, critics suggest, undermines the work being undertaken, whereby marginalizing its importance in the reconciliation process.

 

Clean-up the TRC before it’s too late – i.e the organ may become irrelevant and its critics shall have the last word. As a start, focus on the following:

• Revamp the leadership of the commission by bringing in credible people to serve commissioners, who will have the trust and respect of the Liberian people.
• Ellen Johnson should give testimony in front of the TRC to reinforce its legitimacy in the eyes of all Liberians, especially former warlords, who are yet to come forward. This shall set the pace for government officials and former warlords to be held accountable in giving testimony.
• Speed up the TRC process to allow ample time to deliberate appropriate recommendations for those who would have been accused of committing crimes and atrocities.
• During the next general elections, include a referendum for a war crimes court for Liberia, which will allow Liberians to decide the fate of those accused in the TRC process.

 

2)   Coming Forward – Create a TRC “Hot List”

Reconciliation does not happen overnight. Some Liberians suggest for us to let bygones be bygones. I suggest justice and accountability. Also, people who champion liberty and those who promote freedom of speech should start asking about a comprehensive list of people accused of atrocities and war crimes in Liberia. This is what I termed TRC’s “Hot List.”

 

Given Liberia’s bloody history, military coups, and covet operations by some groups to remove sitting governments, it is evident that some big names shall be pressured to come forward to give statements about their responsibilities and roles in the Liberian civil war. Until this is done, people will make a mockery of the entire process. This will be like adding insult to injury.

 

Through my numerous conversations with Liberians and other stakeholders, certain names are being mentioned over again as key players, who should come forward to tell their side of the story – the civil war: Let’s attempt to name a few here a few persons of interest:

 

-       Ellen Johnson – Current President of Liberia, who has been an activist in the past during former regimes of Tolbert, Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor. However, Ellen has yet to formally give a statement to the TRC about her activism in the past, which leave many folks asking the question, “does she has something to hide?” Here is an except from one disgruntled Liberian vents his frustration at Ellen’s refusal to appear before the TRC: 

“You're setting a bad precedent for your unwillingness to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation commission (TRC). You played a major role in the destruction of our country Liberia. Your support to General Thomas G. Quiwonkpa's attempted coup on Tuesday Nov. 12th 1985 which led to the death of so many Liberians. And the active role you did play by supporting Charles Taylor's so-called war of liberation. It's the right of the people to know your role in the destruction of our country. We want you to go to the (TRC) and tell us what you did.” - Sie Wleh Wilson wrote in a letter to “FrontPageAfrica” on 4/29/08.

 

While Ellen has yet to change her public stance about her appearance before the TRC, her refusal was echoed when she stated in a live radio interview, “Talking with the President,” that she intends to make her RETIREMENT money from her memoirs, in which she planned to reveal all about her role in Liberia’s struggles. Coming forth now to testify in front of the TRC will cut on her memoirs profits, Ellen believes. Narrow thinking for a leader of her caliber, one critic suggests.

 

Here again, critics lambasted Ellen as an egotistical individual, who only desire is the personal returns from writing a memoir. And how can one argue, despite all the public relations campaigns and trips undertaken by the Liberian leader; her failure to appear before the TRC, not only send a wrong message to many other former warlords, but it signals Ellen’s deliberate attempt to undermine the work of the TRC and its success.

 

-       Prince Johnson – former rebel leader whose broke-away faction, the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), captured the late President Samule K. Doe during relative calm in 1990 under the watch of the then Peace Keeping Force, ECOMOG. While being video-taped, Johnson ordered the tortured and subsequent execution of Doe, without any due process of law.

 

Now serving as a Senior Senator for Nimba County, Johnson has vowed not to appear before the TRC, and that his people (which does not necessarily mean Nimba County), will resist any attempt to bring his living body to give any form of testimony in a TRC session.

 

“What a mockery of the process, right?” a friend asked me rhetorically. Well, Liberia has always had dictators and leaders who may claim to be stewards of the people, but in reality, they are only in it for their own personal aggrandizement in general and for the money in particular.

 

Prince Johnson was a key player, both as a member of the planning, training and executing team of Liberia’s civil war. He worked closely with Charles Taylor, his former boss. Johnson questioned the late president Doe upon his capture and executed him. He may have extracted from Doe some vital information, like where to recover Liberia’s looted millions.

 

Johnson may not realized how foolish his statement may sound per his refusal to appear before the TRC, but he will someday need to come clean, whether he chooses to do so now in front of the TRC, or tomorrow in a court of law with jurisdiction to try people accused of war crimes, like Johnson stand accused by many Liberians.

 

-       The list goes on… a complete “Hot List” will be published soon.

§  Moses Blah, former NPFL commander and vice president

 

§  Alhaji Kromah, Rebel Leader, ULIMO-K

§  Roosevelt Johnson, Rebel Leader, ULIMO-J

§  Sekou Konneh, Rebel Leader, LURD Forces

§  George Boley, Rebel Leader, so called “Peace” Council

§  Super Killer, Rebel Commander, INPFL

§  Gen. Peanut Butter, Rebel Commander, NPFL, current junior senator

 

§  Harry Greeves, MD, LPRC; former NPFL civil war financier & lobbyist

§  Former President, Charles Taylor, Rebel Leader, NFPL –

Taylor may be facing war crimes charges for crimes committed in Sierra Leone (hacking off limbs, destruction of property, rape, etc); Liberians do equally have the right to seek war crimes charges against Taylor at an appropriate time and venue.

 

Taylor is a person of vital interest in Liberia’s quest to closing the chapter on impunity and injustice, which will lead to increased justice and accountability. The TRC should seek to get Taylor’s testimony from his prison cell either by video recording or by a panel of commissioners and independent observers. Liberians deserve justice just like any other people.

§  Etc, etc. send us more names you considered key players.

 

3)   Draft a “Lands Law”

The practice of squatting by Liberians has become so pervasive that Government seems unprepared or unable to deal with the problem. Another frustrating practice prevalent in Liberia today is the illegal sale of land to the highest bidder, despite the fact that the land being sold may have already been sold to two or three other bidders. These practices are a way of life for profiteers and hustlers, especially in Monrovia, where unemployment is soaring and where every Liberian wants to live today.

 

Drafting a comprehensive “Land Law,” passing it into law in the next six months, and enforcing it to the letter will go a long way in easing tensions amongst villages, townships, districts, counties and even individuals, who are at the mercy of these land hustlers.

 

Without a comprehensive “Land Law” that guarantees fairness and equity in the distribution and sale of land, many Liberians, especially those in the Diaspora will remain on the sidelines, afraid to invest their hard-earned money into some land scheme that will yield zero returns. Investors will equally be turned off to acquire land or invest in other capital assets like buildings and factories.

 

4)   Improve the business environment, including reforming the Freeport of Monrovia

It takes no rocket science education to understand that a favorable business environment in any nation forms the bedrock to increased entrepreneurship by both its citizens and foreign investors and much needed jobs creation.

 

And one business sector in Liberia that has gained notoriety with having a non-friendly and corrupt environment preventing millions of dollars of investments from coming to Liberia is the Freeport of Monrovia. We all have heard stories of how containers filled with goods sent by Liberian investors were being stolen in the middle of the night by individuals working at the Freeport. A recent story of Morris F. Dougba’s loss of a container full of goods at the Freeport touched many Liberians and investors alike.

 

Reports also indicate a systematic hurdle erected at the Freeport making it difficult for business owners to legitimately clear their goods on time, while creating loopholes for thieves, who illegally possess millions of dollars worth of goods in bogus auction schemes.

 

If Ellen Johnson’s Government is serious about bringing about lasting development to Liberia, hard decisions must be made to bring about change in mentality, change in the way we do business in Liberia and change in leadership at all major agencies, ministries and departments that are viable to generating revenue for the Government and creating jobs for Liberians.

 

Some issues to address include, but are not limited:

• Review and update import/export standards and processes at the Freeport.
• Revamp and improve the “Liberianization Policy” to assist Liberian-owned businesses, while providing skills training to encourage more locals to become entrepreneurs and business owners.
• Strengthen the judicial system, through the courts to enforce business laws.
• If we can not find competent Liberians, bring in consultants who will implement drastic organizational changes to improve the business environment at key agencies, while preparing Liberians for a transition within one year.
• Actively pursue in courts of law, officials of government accused of embezzling public funds; seek and find their overseas bank accounts and have the monies returned to Liberia. As soon as this is done, it shall send a clear message to all corrupt officials that there is no where they can hide stolen wealth and that future government officials will be on a radar watch. Zambia just recovered $60 million in assets stolen by government officials during Frederick Chiluba’s presidency.
• Set-up ministerial and/or management committees at key ministries and agencies, where current ministers or division heads are unable to make change happen. The committees will be charged to implementing drastic, but positive organizational changes in about one year. They will be subjected to evaluations and audits to ensure continuity.

 

5)   Education and Job Creation

We have learned that a country that does not educate its own citizens is unable to manage its own affairs. As a result, it shall become a takeover target for profiteers and crooks who seek to maximize profits with little or no investments, no matter what the consequences are for the local population.

 

Per statistics available on Liberia in the public domain, non-educated Liberians account for more than 80% of the population. Such a high level of illiteracy only continue to empower yesterday corrupt politicians, who maintain a firm grip of power and share more than 90% of the country’s wealth through their illicit dealings, embezzlement, and corruption.

 

In order to break-away from the past, the Government of Liberia, in partnership with qualified Liberians, including those in the Diaspora, and their investment partners should:

• Guarantee the reimbursement of student loans for advanced degree holders (Masters and PhDs) or those in the process of obtaining one, so qualified and skilled Liberians can return home to help in the development process.
• Set-up more vocational training centers around the country where Liberians can learn to read and write, acquire technical skills in computer literacy, basic accountancy, on how to start a business, agriculture training, etc; a way forward to alleviating the high employment and crime rates.

 

 

6)    Some thought out of the box… if government is unable or unwilling to address the issues outlined in this paper, here are some alternative suggestions for the people of Liberia: 

• Liberians should seek the help of their traditional/Zoes leaders from all counties to cast a spell on Liberian Politicians to change their state of mind from corruption-oriented to good governance, for those who believe in “African Magic.” Someone just said, “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

 

• If that does not work, well, all hope is not lost. Liberia used to have an “Iron Lady;” she has been transformed into a plastic lady by the old guard.

 

America has a new “Iron Man.” Liberians can ask this new superhero to come to their rescue by flying overnight in Monrovia and capture all former warlords and corrupt officials and deliver them to The Hague to face justice for their role in bringing hardship and mayhem upon their people through their selfish acts of corruption, war and nepotism. Good enough?

 

• Well, if “Iron Man” is too busy saving America from the bad guys/terrorists around the world and can not help Liberia, then let Liberians look no further: make me your next Emperor for life and let’s do away with democracy all together, which haven’t brought about much good in the past 160 years of our nation’s history.

 

Why? Because our roads are still potty and un-paved around the country making trade difficult if not impossible; our children have inadequate heath care. Children less than 5 years are dying in large numbers; quality education is not attainable for many aspiring young Liberians so they can’t find jobs; women are still considered by many as second-class citizens; people still live on about one dollar a day making poverty pervasive in our society; politicians are making deals for themselves and riding the best cars in town, while you and I struggle to raise our families; and finally Liberia has seen too many deaths in the last decade – 250 thousand, according to non-confirmed accounts.

 

To join me in this new-found non-traditional front, email me your credentials, comments or suggestions @ tdabah@hotmail.com. I am also working on a short list of qualified individuals who can proudly serve our cause with no qualms.