Bickering among rival human rights groups about their roles in the establishment of Liberia’s war and economic crimes court threatens to derail progress towards war crimes accountability and justice.
As local and international justice actors fight for control over the process, there are concerns that war crimes suspects could evade yet another rare opportunity to stand trial for the horrific crimes committed during Liberia’s civil wars between 1989 and 2003.
In a bid to address the growing tensions, the Solidarity Trust for a New Day (STAND), a civil society organization, is calling for a national consultative dialogue and a reset of the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) Secretariat.
“While we applaud President Boakai for taking bold steps to advance the justice agenda, the process of establishing the court will yield better results if proper and adequate consultations are carried out,” said Mulbah Morlu, STAND’s Chairman.
STAND said in a statement Monday, its concerns come after extensive discussions with a cross-section of human rights advocates and civil society actors, who have highlighted the contentious issues that could hinder the implementation of the WECC process if not addressed.
The organization notes that the establishment of the WECC Secretariat was not inclusive and adequately consultative, as civil society and human rights groups, who are knowledgeable about these matters, were not given the opportunity to play a constructive and meaningful role.
To address these concerns, STAND is urging President Boakai to call for a national consultative dialogue, inviting civil society institutions, human rights organizations, and international stakeholders to deliberate on the way forward.
The group also recommends a reset of the process leading to the reformation of the Secretariat to ensure extensive consultation both locally and internationally.
“Unless this is done, any such process will be perceived as unilateral and contrary to the collective good,” Morlu said.
STAND believes that the WECC office should be seen as fiercely independent and not an appendage of the President or the Executive Branch of Government, and that the appointee for the Executive Director position must be independent of executive powers and certified or qualified based on the requirements of the law.
“This is the opportunity to get it right, and we must not be ashamed to reset when necessary to avoid shattering the hopes of victims for justice,” Morlu added.
