Unity Party vice standard bearer Jeremiah Koung has promised to surrender Nimba County Senator Prince Yormie Johnson for war crimes prosecution should the international community request his arrest.
Koung also head of Johnson’s Movement for Development Reconstruction and a fellow Nimba Senator said the establishment of war crimes court in Liberia is necessary and that he supports the campaign for war victims to getjustice
“There is a need for people to pay for the crimes they did to people,” he told social media platform Spoon Talk.
“If the US government requested for Senator Johnson for prosecution for his role in the war, who am I to stop or to say no to the international community or the US government.
“I never fought war before. I have never been a soldier or small boy unit commando. All my life has been business. It will make no sense for me to shield anyone from justice and I am sure the senator himself will like to go and clear his name for once. Going to court does not necessarily mean you are guilty.
PYJ Statements of War
Though a professed Christian and born-again-democrat, PJY often resort to making statement of war in relation to potential establishment of war crimes Court to prosecute the country’s war actors.
He’s listed amongst more than 30 Liberians who the country’s erstwhile Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia said bears the greatest responsibility of atrocities committed during the civil conflict.
In Nov. 2018 he issued fresh statement of war amidst mounting pressures from justice activists for war crimes accountability in Liberia and the U.S. Congress adaptation of a resolution backing the establishment of an extraordinary tribunal for war and economic crimes.
If activists pushing for the establishment of a war crimes court had the power of the President to prosecute them the army will split between ethnic lines and the country would once again descend into chaos, Johnson said.
“If they say George [President Weah] catch the people, George sees no reason to catch anybody,” he said.
“But if they were the one who were President and they want go after us the army will split. The Mandingo people who there [in the army] too will say where you carrying our somebody. The Gio-Mano people will say where you carrying our somebody. You will have no army, nothing but chaos.”
“If you were to come and catch me [for war crimes] I will fight you,” he said.
“Liberia parliament enacted a law granting amnesty from 1990 to 2003. If you want to amend the law, repel it or throw it away then you will have a crisis on your hand and you will have a regret.
“You won’t even catch me. Because the resistance you will find from young guys will be maximum uncontrollable and ungovernable. Those who talking(war crimes activists) it’s good that you talk so that we can know you so that the day trouble comes here your homes will be visitation area.
“The same crime you want to arrest me for is the same damn crime that Taylor committed and you compensated him with the Presidency. You paid Taylor to be the President of Liberia.
“You compensated Madam Sirleaf for 12 years. Now I’m a Senator looking for job to be your leader and you are talking about war crimes court. Come arrest me. Taylor my boss and Ellen [Johnson Sirleaf] My sponsor. You paid them to be President. My people believe I’m a hero when the other thinks I’m a devil.”
Writes E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
