Gongloe rallies victims and eyewitnesses

Liberian human rights lawyer Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe says the establishment of War and Economic Crimes in Liberia is linked to the full participation and involvement of war victims and eyewitnesses. 

By Lincoln G. Peters 

Paynesville, Liberia, September 13, 2024—Renowned Human Rights Lawyer and Liberian People’s Party political leader Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe says the success of the establishment of War and Economic Crimes for Liberia is linked to the full participation and involvement of war victims and eyewitnesses. 

Delivering a keynote address Thursday, September 12, 2024, at a Public Engagement Forum organized by the Liberia Massacre Association, Inc. and Liberian Massacre Survivors Association, Cllr. Gongloe said the work of the War and Economic Crimes Court would not have succeeded without the full cooperation of victims and eyewitnesses. 

He believes that it’s through their courage to come forward and tell their stories that could deliver justice, warming that without their voices, the truth remains hidden, and healing of the nation will be incomplete.

“For the War and Economic Crimes Court to truly succeed, it requires the active participation and cooperation of those who suffered the most during the dark days of our civil conflict. The court cannot fulfill its mandate without testimonies, evidence, and accounts of victims and survivors. Therefore, I want to focus my keynote address on Victims Cooperation: A Necessary Condition for the Success of the War and Economic Crimes Court”, Cllr. Gongloe continues. 

The Liberia Massacre Association, Inc. and the Liberian Massacre Survivors Association organized the forum, with support from the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund.

High-level national and international partners, including stakeholders and advocates of transitional justice, attended the Forum at Golden Key Hotel in Paynesville outside Monrovia. 

Cllr. Gongloe also notes that victims’ cooperation is not just a legal necessity; it is a moral imperative, and by standing up and sharing their experiences, they will help to ensure that those responsible for war crimes and economic crimes are held accountable.

He says such cooperation is not about revenge or retribution but about justice, closure, and the restoration of dignity to those who were wronged.

He adds that it is also about preventing a recurrence of such atrocities in the future by ensuring that Liberia does not repeat its painful history.

“However, this cooperation must be met with protection. The government, civil society, and the international community must work together to provide security and support for victims and witnesses who come forward. We must create an environment where victims feel safe and empowered to participate in the judicial process without fear of intimidation, threats, or further harm.”

He says, in fact, the burden of fear that was carried by victims during the war, such as fear that fighters were coming, fear of fighters raping girls and women, and fear of all the evils that were being perpetrated during the civil war, have shifted now to the suspected war criminals. 

Cllr. Gongloe observes that as the establishment of the court progresses, some of them are having sleepless nights, losing appetite, and experiencing restlessness.

According to him, Justice is already being done, as the process of attaining justice is now irreversible, maintaining that, yes, the burden of fear has now shifted to suspected war criminals.

He reiterates that the success of the War and Economic Crimes Court “hinges on the active participation of victims and survivors. Their stories will shape the pursuit of justice, and their courage will pave the way for a lasting peace in Liberia. Let us stand together in supporting their efforts, for without their cooperation, justice will remain elusive, and peace will only be a distant dream. Justice will prevail.” 

Meanwhile, providing clarification on war criminals and prosecution, Cllr. Gongloe explains that not everyone who participated in the war will be prosecuted or considered a war criminal. 

“Let me first clarify the confusion and false information that some suspected war criminals are spreading that everyone who participated in the civil conflict is being considered a war criminal and will be prosecuted. This is not true. It is fake news. If you go to the battlefront and kill even one hundred fighters every day, you have not committed war crime or crime against humanity”, he points out.

In other words, he means that legitimate enemies with arms are legitimate targets in battle. 

He notes that those who kill unarmed persons on the frontline have committed war crimes, and a court is to be established for those who killed such persons during the Liberia Civil Conflict. 

Therefore, the former Presidential Candidate emphasizes that the role of every well-meaning Liberian and friend of Liberia is to explain to the people of Liberia what a war crime, a crime against humanity, or an economic crime through public education. 

President Joseph Boakai signed Executive Order #131 in May, establishing the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia.

Among others, duty of the Office is to conduct research and studies, and growing therefrom, and in consultation with international partners, select a model of an international tribunal for war crimes, including the jurisdiction and situs of the Special War Crimes for Liberia, consistent and in harmony with international models that have been used for similar trial of war crimes. Editing by Jonathan Browne