In May this year, President Joseph Boakai issued an executive order calling for the establishment of the WECC.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, November 18, 2024: Liberia’s Massacre Survivors Association has issued a warning that it will seek revenge if the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) fails.
The group said if no action is taken to investigate and prosecute those responsible for war and economic crimes in Liberia, it will seek revenge.
Peterson Sonyah, head of the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association, is a survivor who lost seven family members in the 1990 Lutheran Church massacre at the age of 16.
He spoke to the New Dawn in a phone interview, emphasizing the urgency of justice.
He pointed out that many perpetrators of these atrocities are either dying or aging, raising concern that survivors may not live long enough to see justice.
“Who will testify if we all die?” he asked.
He argued that the next generation of survivors might resort to seeking revenge as their pain remains unaddressed.
Bill Horace, a Liberian fighter and former member of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), has died.
The accused warlord fled to Canada before being shot dead in 2020.
Other warlords have passed away, including Momoh Gebah, known as “Bull Dog” — a former bodyguard to ex-President Charles Taylor.
On the other hand, some of the former warlords continue to wield significant political influence as they age.
George Boley and Prince Johnson led different warring factions during Liberia’s civil war.
Boley has served as a lawmaker, while Johnson continues to serve as Nimba Senator.
However, Sonyah stressed that to date, not a single person has faced criminal investigation or prosecution in Liberia for serious crimes committed during the civil wars.
“The only steps toward justice for serious crimes have been cases prosecuted abroad.”
He urged the government to act swiftly to deliver justice to those still suffering from the trauma of the civil war.
Between 1981 and 2003, Liberia endured two civil wars that devastated the country.
It was estimated that over 250,000 people were killed, and others were displaced.
The civil crisis witnessed horrific war crimes, including mass rapes, amputations, and other atrocities.
In 2003, a comprehensive peace agreement was signed in Accra, Ghana, ending the civil war that lasted from 1981 to 2003.
The agreement called for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Subsequently, in 2005, the TRC began its work and, in its findings, recommended the establishment of a criminal tribunal to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and atrocities.
Following this event, the Liberian Senate passed legislation requiring the establishment of the court, but it was never implemented.
Former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Manneh Weah promised to establish the court, but they did not.
In May this year, President Joseph Boakai issued an executive order calling for the establishment of the WECC.
The executive order mandates that the office investigate, design, and outline the methodology, mechanisms, and processes for establishing the two courts.
Additionally, the office recommended ways to secure funding for the court’s operations.
It is reported here that the court will cost at least $60 million.
This cost is said to cover expenses such as the construction of court buildings and detention facilities and salaries for judges, lawyers, and administrators.
It is reported that it will also cover security and witness protection.
Despite these steps, many citizens are concerned about whether the court will ever be established under the Boakai administration, as no timeline has been provided for its creation.
Mr. Sonyah is among those concerned about when the court will be established.
He is dissatisfied with how the entire WECC process is allegedly being delayed and threatens to take action if the establishment of the WECC fails.
He demands that serious crimes committed during the civil wars be prosecuted.
“The victim group is united, and our word is our bond. We insist that this court be established.”
“If it is not, and no action is taken to prosecute those responsible for war crimes, we will be the next to take matters into our own hands and seek revenge for the suffering we have endured.”
He recommended that the establishment of the war crimes court be led by a Liberian who was not directly involved in the conflict but was willing to work with both perpetrators and victims.
“President Boakai knows about the group called the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association, and I believe the reason we were not included in the entire process of establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court is because of selfish advice from people around him.”
“However, this will not stop us from continuing to advocate for war-affected victims.”
