The Founder and Chairman of a pro-justice advocacy group, Liberians United for Justice and Accountability (LUJA), Emmanuel Savice, has lauded his team of local volunteers for what he termed their “genuine commitment” to the well-intentioned cause of soliciting one million war victim signatures for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
According to Savice, the selfless effort of the team of volunteers headed by its National Chairman, Lawrence S. Spencer, and National Coordinator, Nelson Kweh Yanrue, mostly comprising young people from diverse spectrums of the Liberian society, aimed at ensuring culprits of human rights violations and humanitarian crimes committed during the country’s brutal civil conflict amidst financial constraints clearly demonstrate their agitation against the culture of impunity.
He said the three-day campaign to collect the one million war victim signatures, which kicked-off on Monday, September 20, 2021 in Montserrado County and its suburbs, is in continuation of the current on-going process in thirteen counties across Liberia. Savice pointed out that the campaign is geared toward sending a strong and clear message to the international community as, according to him, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led 54th National Legislature has shown reluctance regarding matters surrounding the court’s establishment.
Savice said LUJA was established in 2018 as a pro-justice advocacy with the primary objective of mounting pressure on state actors to ensure individuals accused of masterminding the death of 250,000 compatriots (women and children) are afforded the opportunity in a court of competent jurisdiction to exonerate themselves.
He disclosed that the campaign to collect the one million war victim signatures was launched on May 15, 2020, while adding that since its commencement the exercise has enjoyed huge support from the diverse spectrums of the Liberian society, as citizens are trooping in mass to provide their signatures for what he termed a “noteworthy venture”.
According to Savice, despite the campaign on-going on a schedule basis due to several health regulations issued by the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute (NPHIL), aimed at curbing the upsurge in the Corona Virus disease, LUJA has currently in its data base signatures of 200,000 war victims. He added that the three-day campaign carried out in Montserrado County and its environs accounts for 20, 000 of the total amount.
Savice noted that, with LUJA anticipation to climax the campaign in December this year, the one million war victim signatures will be presented to the US State Department and the international community, aimed at providing an honest viewpoint as to the quest of many Liberians opting for the court’s establishment, contrary to the views of those he labeled as “opponent of justice”.
Since the climax of Liberia’s fourteen years of brutal civil conflict in 2003 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Accra, Ghana, this is the first instance where Liberians have galvanized under the banner of LUJA to undertake the task of ensuring culprits of war crimes are brought to justice.
According to Savice, LUJA will remain on this trajectory of seeing individuals who participated in the mayhem of innocent and defenseless civilians during the civil conflict, most of whom are currently serving as legislators and others in positions of political influence, are made to pay for their deeds in the international justice system.
Savice noted that the entrenched culture of impunity against vices that have the tendency to derail the country’s fragile democracy and portray a gloomy picture of Liberia’s international reputation, must be nip in the bud, aimed at putting the country on the path of genuine peace and reconciliation, the surest way to sustain infrastructure developments.
According Savice, until those who are accused of the highest responsibility of human rights violation carried out during the brutal civil conflict are made to account for their involvement in the decimation of lives and the destruction of properties, Liberia cannot steer the path of genuine reconciliation. He said it is paramount for the war and economic crimes court to be established as a way of serving as a deterrent for any future re-occurrence.
