The Coalition for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia (CEWAECCL) says it sees the election and re-election of major warlords and individuals accused of war and economic crimes in the National Legislature as a continued roadblock to the establishment of war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
In a release issued over the weekend, signed by the Lead Campaigner, Adama K. Dempster, the group said, “We, the heads of over 30 human rights, civil society, religious and development organizations, have observed with grave concern the election and re-election of major warlords and individuals accused of war and economic crimes at the level of the National Legislature following the just-ended October 10, 2023 presidential and legislative elections.”
CEWAECCL further expressed disappointment in some Liberian voters over the election of these individuals to public offices. “This is a classic example of the continual roadblocks faced by the past Legislature, which has the propensity to undermine the quest for justice, accountability and the advocacy for instituting war and economic crimes court in Liberia,” the release noted.
The Coalition for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia (CEWAECCL) is an embodiment and product of the Resolution of the “April 2023 National Convening of Justice Campaigners, Civil Society Organizations, War Victims and Human Rights Community” that set out the “Path to Achieving Accountability for Past Crimes in Liberia”.
The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing justice and accountability for war victims and survivors alike, including women and youth, who suffered heinous crimes perpetrated by warlords and fighting groups in Liberia.
The April 2023 resolution is a national document that was presented to the US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice (War Crimes) in Washington, D.C. in May 2023, and to senior members of US Congressional staffs in Washington, D.C., as well as officials at the African Bureau, the U.S. States Department. It was also endorsed by the U.S.-based Liberian diaspora group, “Coalition for Justice in Liberia (CJL)”, which enhanced rallying support to address the quest for justice in Liberia.
The CSO Coalition, CEWAECCL, further reminded Liberians that the election of these individuals violates the July 2018 United Nations Human Rights Committee Concluding Observations, which called on Liberia to ensure the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and noted with regret that “very few steps have been taken to implement the bulk of the recommendations issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2009”.
According to the release, “The UN Committee notes with fear that none of the alleged perpetrators of gross human rights violations and war crimes mentioned in the TRC Report have been brought to justice, and that some of those individuals are, or have been, holding official/executive positions in the government.
“The UN Committee further noted that the Government of Liberia should, as a matter of priority, establish a process of accountability for past gross human rights violations and war crimes that conforms to international standards.”
According to the release, the committee recommended that the Government of Liberia (GOL) ensures that all alleged perpetrators of gross human rights violations and war crimes are impartially prosecuted and, if found guilty, convicted and punished, in accordance with the gravity of the acts committed, regardless of their status or any domestic legislation on immunities, and remove any persons who are proven to have been involved in gross human rights violations and war crimes from official positions.
“CEWAECCL sees the election of these individuals as a recipe for the continual promotion of the culture of impunity in Liberia, and the determinant root cause that undermines the rule of law in Liberia,” the release stated.
CEWAECCL has meanwhile called on the government and regional bodies, including human rights organizations, and the international community to strengthen democracy and the rule of law through the path to achieving accountability for past crimes and the promotion of justice in Liberia.