Mr. Lewis Brown has insisted he’s innocent of the allegations agaisnt him by Liberia’s Truth and Reconcilaition Commisison. Credit: Anthony Stephens/New Narratives.
The Liberian Senate has confirmed Lewis Brown, President Joseph Boakai’s controversial pick for Ambassador to the United Nations, despite opposition from leading voices in the human rights community in the country.
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives
Advocates had argued that Mr. Brown, recommended in Liberia’s 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commision report as one of 26 individuals who should face prosecution for his alleged economic crimes, was a wrong move. They claimed as national security advisor to Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president currently serving a 50-year sentence for his role in Sierra Leone’s civil war, Mr. Brown was complicit in the allged gross human rights violations in the Taylor govenrment. Advocates aruged Mr. Brown’s presence at the UN would undermine the support of international donors for a war and economic crimes court for Liberia.
But the Senate’s plenary, the body’s highiest deicsion making arm, seemed to have ignored any red flag about Brown’s repuation by confimring him on the recommendaiton of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“The Committee on Foreign Affairs, having examined the credentials of the nominees, coupled with their demonstrated abilities to respond to inquiries, supported by their demonstrated conduct during the hearing, it is the considered opinion of the committee that the Ambassadors designate just named, be confirmed to the positions as mentioned above,” said the report read in open session Tuesday by J. Nanborlor F. Singbeh, Secretary of the Liberian Senate. Others confirmed by the Plenary on were Mrs. Genevie A. Kennedy as Liberia’s Ambassador designate to the United Kingdom, Mr. Bob H. Sheriff as Liberia’s Ambassador to designate Sierra Leone and Mrs. Musu J. Ruhle as Liberia’s Ambassador designate to Ghana.
But human rights advocates have criticized the Senate’s decision.
“This is very bad because some of those guys in the Senate do not want to see any justice in Liberia,” said Mr. Peterson Sonyah, executive director of the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association, the largest victims’ and survivors group in the country. “That’s a serious threat to justice. Nobody is going to take us seriously.”
“Who is Lewis Brown going to sit with to discuss the court and justice here? Who is going to sit with Lewis Brown to discuss Liberia’s issues?”
Mr. John Stewart, an ex-commissioner of the TRC, also expressed disappointment in the Senate’s decision.
“It’s a blow to the human rights community both nationally as well as internationally, because this man is associated with one of Liberia’s darkest histories under Charles Taylor,” said Mr. Stewart in a phone interview. “I think the human rights community needs to mount a campaign. We have Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations that are quite familiar with the Liberian situation.”
Mr. Brown is returning to the ambassadorial role at the UN, having occupied the post during the administrations of Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Mr. George Weah, two ex-Liberian presidents advocates criticized for not prioritizing a war and economic crimes court.
Mr. Brown did not respond to requests for comment about his confirmation. In a FrontPage Africa/New Narratives interview late November, he had criticized the TRC report and said he did not think his nomination would undermine support for the court. Ambassador Brown also accused the advocates of promoting “injustice” by failing to defend him as an accused.
With his confirmation by the Senate, President Boakai, will in line with Liberia’s constitution, appoint and commission Ambassador Brown. But Mr. Sonyah said they were not backing down on the issue.
“I will write the United Nations and US government to do any business with Lewis Brown,” said Mr. Sonyah in phone interview. “President Boakai is not serious. He’s playing like a double-handed game, because he’s talking about justice, and he has someone with stigma on them that are listed in the TRC report and appointed him Liberia’s permanent representative to the United Nations.”
Ms. Kula Fofana, the presidential press secretary, did not respond to requests for comment on Mr. Sonyah’s claims.
This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say in the story’s content.
