Liberia’s fourteen years of civil conflict ended long ago, but many of its victims are still suffering. Some live with bullets and fragments in their bodies, lost limbs, impaired vision, chronic pain and emotional trauma. Others remain in poverty because the war destroyed their homes, farms, businesses and families. Many feel abandoned and forgotten by the country for whose conflict they paid such a terrible price.
By Tiawan Saye Gongloe
At the end of the war, former fighters received disarmament and demobilization packages, including money, vocational training and other forms of assistance to help them return to civilian life. That support was necessary for peace. But it created a painful imbalance: those who carried the guns received organized assistance, while many of the people injured, widowed, displaced and impoverished by the war received little or nothing. Liberia must correct this historic injustice.
I therefore propose the creation of a National War Victims Relief Fund for an initial period of five years. Every unemployed adult Liberian who is able to contribute should pay L$100 per year. Every employed Liberian should contribute US$1 per year, and Liberians living abroad should also be encouraged to contribute at least US$1 annually. The Government should match these contributions at a ratio of US$5 for every US$1 contributed under the national scheme.
The fund should be used to provide medical treatment, medication, prosthetic devices and modest welfare support to severely disabled victims. It should also provide interest-free microloans to victims who can engage in farming, trading or small businesses. The goal should be to reduce suffering, restore independence and give victims renewed hope in a caring Liberia.
This fund must be completely separate from the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court. The court concerns accountability for crimes committed during the conflict. The relief fund concerns care and responsibility for people who are suffering today. A wounded victim who needs medicine should not have to wait for a prosecution, and a widow living in poverty should not have to wait for the creation of a court before receiving assistance. Liberia can pursue justice and care for victims at the same time.
The fund must also be transparent and protected from political interference. A credible national registry of qualified victims should be established, and the General Auditing Commission should audit the fund annually. Most importantly, administrative expenses should not be deducted from the victims’ money. Salaries, offices and other operating costs should come from a separate appropriation in the national budget.
Someone may ask, “Why now?” The answer is simple: it is better late than never. The passage of time does not erase the suffering of those who still carry the physical, emotional and economic scars of the war. Delay is not a reason for continued neglect; it is a reason to act now.
This is more than a financial proposal. It is a national statement that Liberia remembers its victims, cares about their suffering and accepts responsibility for helping them rebuild their lives.
Such collective care can help heal old wounds, restore hope and make victims feel that their country has not abandoned them.
The fighters were assisted because Liberia needed peace. The victims must now be assisted because justice, compassion and national responsibility demand it.
We must not and cannot forget the victims of Liberia’s civil conflict.
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