I remain an advocate for justice and I truly want accountability for the heinous crimes committed in Liberia. However, I am also of the opinion that doing so must be thought through carefully. The search for truth and justice must be carried out without jeopardizing the fragile peace we enjoy at this moment. It must be done while ensuring our safety.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to promote national peace, unity, security, and reconciliation while holding perpetrators accountable for the atrocities committed.  About 11 years ago, the commission completed its work and handed over its report for implementation. Under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s leadership, no overtures were made towards implementing the recommendations of the TRC.

The U.N. and other international organizations took no action against Madam Sirleaf for her failure to do so. In fact, she was awarded several accolades from the same international community, one of them being the Nobel Peace Prize and later the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership after she stepped down from political office.

What double standards. The international community was extremely tolerant towards her government and no pressure was mounted on her to implement the recommendations of the TRC.

As part of its support for the peace process, UNMIL was under obligation to ensure the Liberian government implements the recommendations of the TRC report. According to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509 (2003) that established the mission, UNMIL was mandated to “support all parties to cease all human rights violations and atrocities against the Liberian population and stress the need to bring to justice those responsible.”

After 15 years, UNMIL closed down its Liberian operation without achieving one of its key mandates, which was to support the government to bring to justice those responsible for committing atrocities in Liberia.

Shortly after the election of the new government of President George Weah, there have been increasing calls for judicial accountability for war crimes from various sources including social media and other spaces. Similarly, on July 5, 2018, Human Rights Watch put out a statement supported by 76 Liberian, African, and international non-governmental organizations demanding the Liberian government “undertake fair and credible prosecutions of international crimes committed during its two civil wars.”  The statement was submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

On September 8, 2018, a U.S. congressman introduced a resolution for the full implementation of the TRC recommendations. Interestingly, this is the first concrete action taken by the U.S. government since the completion of the TRC’s work. No such action was ever taken during the tenure of Madam Sirleaf’s government.

This makes one wonder why, after more than 11 years, the international community is choosing this moment to begin to pursue the implementation of the TRC recommendations. What does the U.S. Congress aim to achieve? What is the real motive for this action?

In the first place, the new government is still in its infancy and only now starting to organize itself and implement the mandate given to it by the Liberian people. For me, it is too early and not timely for the U.S. Congress to burden the Liberian government with such demands.

We vividly remember how the U.S. Embassy shut its gates and watched from the Atlantic shore while millions of Liberians were being killed, raped, and tortured. If Liberia is forced to implement these recommendations, is the international community and the U.S. in particular, ready to create the conditions to guarantee our safety and stability? What commitments are they making if Liberia once again finds itself in a state of instability while implementing the TRC recommendations?

Bearing in mind that some of the alleged perpetrators hold a great deal of power and have amassed enormous personal wealth, it is important to consider how this power and influence might be used to resist the TRC implementation. The risk of such a process destabilizing the country is high and this is the reason why it should have been conducted while the UNMIL force was still stationed in Liberia. The UNMIL mission could have supported the judicial accountability process before their mission ended.

It is important for the government of Liberia to be very clear about how it wants to proceed with the non-judicial and judicial process for transitional justice in Liberia. They must be in the driver’s seat and show the Liberian people that they mean to act on this in a measured and responsible way. Many are hurt, many need reparations and many need to be reconciled.

As I write this, I am reflecting on a day in 2003 when we had nowhere to run and I had to carry my one-year-old baby and choose which of our few belongings to carry. Today he is 16-years-old and will soon be completing high school. I imagine a bright future for him. This future can only be guaranteed by a peaceful country.

This is the aspiration of many Liberians. We do need closure to this chapter. Of course, we need justice, but it must not be detrimental to the fragile peace. We look forward to the government position on this and it must not be driven by an international agenda. Never again!