Concerning the establishment of a war crimes court for Liberia to curtail the culture of impunity within the Liberian society after a brutal 14-year civil war, the Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia(WONGOSOL) has called for the establishment of such a court in the country.
According to the Executive Director of WONGOSOL, Esther S. Davies Yango, the establishment of war crimes court will provide justice for many women, who were victimized as the result of the war.
Yango made the disclosure Wednesday at the capacity building training on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations, advocacy and monitoring of the TRC, held at YWCA, Congo Town.
She stated that WONGOSOL is currently implementing a project intended to “Enhance Women’s Meaningful Participation in National Advocacy for Accountability for War Crimes in Liberia”.
She emphasized that the project, which is on-going in six counties: Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Bomi, Montserrado and Grand Bassa, will empower women who were affected greatly to advocate in their districts and counties for lawmakers to enact into law a bill for the establishment of the court.
Yango maintained that too many women are living with bullets in their bodies, and the establishment of the war crimes court will allow them to explain their stories, which would be documented.
According to her, WONGOSOL is partnering with seven local civil society organizations in these counties, and providing intensive training to enhance the participation of local women in the advocacy to ensure that those who committed human rights are brought to book.
She said she believes that the war crimes court will serve as a deterrent for would-be human rights abusers to rethink themselves before engaging into any act of war in Liberia in the future.
Yango explained that the project, which is expected to last for five months, is being supported by the Women Peace Humanitarian Fund of the United Nations.
“The project’s overall goal is to build on the current international and local momentum to increase women’s voices, representation and meaningfully participate in on-going advocacy, aimed at generating the political will for the Liberian government to prioritize the establishment of a war crimes court for Liberia,” she stated.
She explained that the project will also provide support for women CSOs initiatives in creating awareness about the importance of establishing a war crimes court to address the knowledge gap amongst women and girls concerning the TRC’s recommendations, advocacy steps and monitoring framework.