The Informer (Monrovia)
3 July 2009
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia has finally concluded public hearings and submitted a report of its works with recommendations.
Addressing journalists in its final conference, TRC Chairman Cllr. Jerome Verdier said the report is made against the background of rising expectations, fears, and anxiety.
Cllr. Verdier pointed out that the vast majority of the Liberian people who are victims or survivals of massive wave of atrocities induced by the conflict, expect that all of the recommendations contained in the report will be implemented and reparations in the forms of compensation, policy and institutional reforms, specialized services, restitution or financial relief, will address all the social and economic cultural, civic and political rights issues, ensure accountability, impunity and foster national healing and reconciliation.
The TRC Chairman said the few Liberians who commended armed forces, financed, resourced and provided political and ideological guidance to several warring factions; he said the commission fear alienation, prosecutions and other forms of public sanctions which may undermine Liberia's current socio-economic and political stature during the conflict period.
Cllr. Verdier noted that the outcome of the report is the product of deliberation planting and engagement with all segments of the Liberian society centering on all 15 counties of Liberia and the Diaspora.
He said capturing over 22,000 written statements, several dozens of personal interviews and over 500 hundred live public testimonies of witnesses, including actors, perpetrators, and direct victims.
The Commission's Chairman stated that a national regional consultation with county stakeholders and a national conference on reconciliation and the way forward provided the Commission a national perspective of the conflict, its causes, trends, impacts and the vision and aspirations of the people of Liberia for better future.
He told a news conference that the Commission incorporated desk research, media publications and human rights reports of very prominent international and local human rights institutions into a work so guided and informed, the commission is well poised to make this report and draw the conclusions making the recommendations contained in this report which in four volume documents the comprehensive works of the commission.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has recommended that those associated with former warring factions, their leaders, political decision makers, financiers, organizers, commanders, foot soldiers shall be subject to public sanction in one form or another.
He said among those who are recommended to be barred from holding public office include President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Pro tempore of the Liberian Senate, Isaac Nyenebo , Former Transport Minister Jackson E. Doe, Liberia Produce Marketing (LPMC) Managing Director, Nyan Mentan, Former Police Director, Paul Mulbah and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Kabineh Ja'neh among others.
Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson was placed in the category of notorious perpetrators thus recommending for prosecution for gross human rights violations and war crimes.
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Well done Mr. Commissioner and thanks to the bodies that finacied your project. However i would like to import my strong disagreement with you on the prosecution recommendation of 'persons bearing the most responsibnility 'in the conflict . Without a speck of doubt ,Yumi Johnson ,Taylor Kromah ,and the rest ofthe varied factional leaders should be brought to book to account for their roles ,but from the Sierra leonean experience ,the room for justice to take a course is more than small .And further ,the International criminal justice system dosen't actually dispense justice rather its focal element in… [Read Full Text]
Woh! what can one say.Elen is not Better then Taylor. I think taylor is better, cuz taylor known for talking the truth. Elen never thought the trc would have given such a report.She sold taylor for good image, today we are selling her for the same good image. We don't want anyone that took part in the war to rule us........... when taylor is finish given his part of the story, Elen herself will step down.
It saddened my heart to hear comments like Ellen isno different from Taylor. If we were to go on listing the mountainous differences that exists between Madam Ellen and Mr. Taylor, the website could be jam for some time. So we will not go in to that. Madam Sirleaf with the respect of the international community has been able restore Liberia's image from one of a pariah state to respected nation in the comity of nations. She has been able to raised the country's budget from a mere $80 million US to almost $400 million in the space of… [Read Full Text]
what are you talking about here? How do you think that Taylor was going to do those things you talked about? All of those people from the international community that are helping today, are the same people who she got help from to damage taylor's image out there.But you and i know that Elen was the one who mobilize Taylor and the others by the help of some us investors, They even got him out of jail. The 1985 coup was her idea, 1989 war was her idea. Taylor was just the foot soldier. But hold your peace ontil… [Read Full Text]
Liberians need to sit back and evaluate what the TRC report findings means for our young democracy. In my opinion, the TRC process should've been untaken during the Bryant transitional administration and completed before heading into the last elections. Coming out with a prosecutorial slant at this time is taking the country back to acrimony and strife. Is the result worth risking the fragile peaceful democracy that the country now clings onto? Is it worth diverting so much international assistance that should continue going toward development and poverty reduction? Is placing the country in several lengthy periods of… [Read Full Text]
Wow are we forgetting about our former rebel leader's for LEAD he should be the first on the TRC table because that guy is pain in the flash for all Liberian.
What some of you on here are talking is nonsense. In post conflict societies, peace and reconciliatation can only be achieve when justice is achieve. Look at Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, and even south Africa. As a master student studying politics and international studies with emphasis and peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University in Sweden, the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s public release on July 2nd of its final report is an important, necessary step in Liberia’s efforts to confront the legacies of its 17-years civil conflict and highlights the need for additional measures to deal with Liberia’s difficult… [Read Full Text]
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