As Pres. Boakai Holds Talks WithAllan White: Boakai Betrays PYJ; War Crimes Court’s Establishment In Sight
The Founding Chief Investigator of the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, Dr. Allan White, has officially received a call from President Joseph N. Boakai, inviting him to have a face-to-face conversation. Dr. White received and honored the invite after President Boakai was sworn in as the 26th President of Liberia, who had come on the mantra of fighting corruption, strengthening the rule of law and ending impunity for perpetrators of war and economic crimes.
Dr. White has been a champion for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court for Liberia and ending impunity for perpetrators of heinous crimes during the Liberian civil war, which destroyed properties worth billions of dollars and claimed the lives of about 250,000 persons.
In a video conversation with President Boakai which surfaced on social media on Monday, February 26, 2024, Dr. White is heard saying, “We’ve been on this journey for a long, long time. I just want to thank you for the phone call. I just want to ask you again…Why did you want me to come over here?”
In response, President Boakai said, “Allen, you’ve been a very good friend of Liberia and I don’t see it as a duty; I see it as a concern for a country that you have been threading, and we believe that your concerns are genuine. So we’ve open the door for us to work together. That’s why we’ve called you.”
Dr. White then informed President Boakai that many people worldwide, when they read his speech where hetalked about having an office for the war crimes and economic crimes court to facilitate the creation of aninternational tribunal in Liberia to bring justice to the people, they became ecstatic and elated. “I heard it from the US; my phone blew up, as you could imagine,” he noted. He said he could not believe people were so happy for the pronouncement, and since he entered Liberia he had been hearing the same thing. “So I wanted to thank you again and give you full assurances that we will do everything to bring justice for the victims—the 250,000 people—that were killed during the war,” Dr. White assured.
President Boakai then reiterated his commitment for the establishment of the war and economic crimes court. “Well, Alan, you know in every country, and especially a country that boasts of independent for 176 years…and you know very well that it is because of the impunity, the disrespect and disregard for justice that have created all the fuse in this country, and we believe we have to lay this to rest. Let all the facts be known; that people who think that they are innocent prove their case so that we can lay this to rest so that this country can move forward. It’s not a witch-hunt; it’s a matter of testifying to what you know and what you don’t, so that forgiveness can be done on the basis of knowledge and truth. And that’s what we’re talking about.”
Dr. White replied, “Mr. President, you have our full commitment to help realize that, and what we did in Sierra Leone… we were able to move the people on to the reconciliation face, because, you’re right, when people walk around and see impunity—people that have never been held to account and self-enriching themselves—it basically robs in their faces regularly. So the fact that you are stepping up, taking this leadership role, I can tell you so far the people of Liberia are ecstatic about it and we are here to help you facilitate this properly, independently, and let the prosecutor follow the evidence where it goes. Not me, not you; wherever the evidence follows, and have it done with international standards, and it will be done properly and transparently.”
However, President Boakai said he “think most of the people that have been involved know that, if they were on the other side they would like the truth to be told about it. So the truth is the truth, but each and everyone should not be offended, but be happy that this will finally close the chapter of that history that has been haunting us over the years.”
The conversation between President Boakai and Dr. White surfaces at a time when the timeline made for the submission of documents for the establishment of the court is said to have expired. It can be recalled that during previous contacts with campaigners for war and economic crimes court for Liberia, Boakai allegedly assured that in his first thirty (30) days in office he would fast-track the documentation process for the implementation of a war and economic crimes court. However, it has been a month and a week since his inauguration, and nothing has been heard or done to that effect.
According to information leaked to the Hot Pepper, the video conversation between Dr. White and President Boakai was release as a reminder of his commitment for the establishment of the court, and to speed up the modalities leading to its implementation.
A source informed the paper that Congressman, Chris Smith, had previously arranged a trip to Monrovia to meet with President Boakai to hold discussion, but canceled the trip due to the delay in fast-tracking the war crimes court process.
These developments appear to be a blow to Nimba County Senator, Prince Y. Johnson, who stood firmly to ensure that his county, the second most populated, overwhelmingly vote for Boakai and the Unity Party.
Senator Johnson is a former notorious warlord who is captured on tape murdering former President Samuel K. Doe. He also stands accused of committing several heinous crimes during the civil war, including mass murder, rape, torture and recruitment of child soldiers. He has always strongly opposed the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia, with the opinion that the court is intended to only get rid of him and not anything else.
With Senator Johnson yet to comment on the conversation between Dr. White and President Boakai, political pundits have observed that President Boakai has betrayed his close ally during the 2023 general and presidential election, and stands prepared to turn him over to war crimes prosecutors to face trials for his war crimes and crimes against humanity.