War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia

COALITION FOR JUSTICE IN LIBERIA (CJL) ENDORSES RESOLUTION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COURT TO TRY CIVIL WARS-ERA ATROCITIES IN LIBERIA


Date: 5/22/2023


WHEREAS on April 20-21, 2023, a national convening of civil society, the human right community, war victims and and justice campaigners in Liberia was held at the Corina Hotel, in Monrovia, Liberia, and a resolution was adopted to insist that justice for past crimes committed in Liberia’s civil wars finally be delivered;


WHEREAS blatant systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law characterized Liberia’s two brutal armed conflicts between 1989 and 2003, with an estimated more than two hundred thousand people killed, hundreds of thousands uprooted and more displaced as a result of Liberia’s brutal wars, and not a single alleged perpetrator has been held accountable in Liberia;


WHEREAS the United States has a unique connection with the Republic of Liberia because Liberia was founded in 1847 by freed men and former slaves from the United States, and Liberia has been a major U.S. ally since World War II and into the Cold War, hosting U.S. communications facilities in the 1960s and 1970s, and most importantly, because of the estimated over 500,000 Liberian descendants and Liberian diaspora population who live here in the United States, most of whom have voting rights in U.S elections;


WHEREAS the United States has the capacity to, and should, stand with victims of the crimes by sending a clear message to Liberian President George Weah in support of a war crimes court in Liberia, and invite the Liberian government to leverage US experience in establishing a court, especially given its efforts around other accountability initiatives on the African continent, including in Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Central African Republic;


IT IS RESOLVED that a copy of the April 20- 21-22 Liberian national convening resolution is attached, and is endorsed by the below signatories, along with the governing body of the Coalition for Justice in Liberia, and these materials will be sent to every US Congressional office for action where citizens of Liberian descent with US elections voting rights reside:

Full Name: Title: Advocacy Organization: Signature:
1 Attorney Charles Sunwabe Executive Director Coalition for Justice in Liberia A
2 Ms. Massa Washington Former
TRC Commissioner Ms. Massa Washington
3 Ms. Hawa Metzger Executive Director Lady Justice Center of Liberia
4 Mr. Emmanuel Savice Executive Director Liberians United for Justice and Accountability 4
5 Mr. Bernard Goah Executive Director Operation We Care for Liberia