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Bernard Gbayee Goah
President, Operation We care for Liberia
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Written by Bernard Gbayee Goah
President, Operation We care for Liberia
The exponential increase in the lack of public trust and
confidence in President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s ability to lead the people of
Liberia concerns me.
Given the high level of corruption with the disappearances of
millions of taxpayers’ money under the very supervision of Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf, it is now clear that her reelection to the presidency for the
second time was actually an endorsement
of the status quo and a return to business as usual in Liberia.
Ms. Sirleaf is incapable of preventing Liberia from again
returning to violence in the absence of the UN troops. The truth is, the
presence of UN Troops in Liberia only gives a false sense of security with
nothing being done to address imperative issues. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is not
capable of navigating her own people through the rough waters of justice
because doing so would mean holding herself accountable. I know this to be true
because after reviewing all the evidence, the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Liberia felt it necessary to recommend that Madam Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf be banned from public office for no less than 30 years. This is
a clear indication of the extent of her involvement in the carnage.
Liberia’s past history has shown us that it is important for a
sitting President to listen and take corrective steps while her people are
still whining, writing articles, suggesting solutions, and talking.
When
the people become quiet, a situation develops whereby the top of the water is
still and yet boiling underneath.
Liberia has experienced the result of
such a situation many times as a nation. I am sure Liberians do not want to
experience it again.
The Liberian people have said over and over that they want the
establishment of a War Crimes Court for Liberia. As a President of a nation,
Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is under the obligation to not only listen but also
do something about it because the people are the government. But the Liberian
President is just out of touch with reality. She has deliberately ignored the
will of the people and the people are now anxious. Mistrust, suspicion and fear have
hindered progress. Tension is rising and pressure is building across the entire
country. To ignore this fact as President Sirleaf has done is a clear
indication of a disconnected leader.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf must not be allowed to provide
cover for persons who have committed unspeakable atrocities in Liberia.
Impunity must not trump accountability. This will make it difficult - if not
impossible – to restore normalcy in post-war Liberia under the leadership of
persons bearing the greatest responsibility for the senseless destruction of
lives and properties in that country.
If the people of Liberia allow rape,
torture and murder to go unpunished, soon there will be nothing left to
protect.
Recently,
in the country of Chad, the country’s former president Hissene Habre was
arrested at his home and is presently in the custody of the Senegalese police.
Habre is accused of killing and torturing tens of thousands of political
opponents during his eight-year reign from 1982 until1990. In Liberia, an estimation of more than
two hundred thousand innocent people were killed, hundreds of thousands
uprooted from their homes, and hundreds of thousands more displaced in foreign
lands as a result of the country’s brutal war.
Atrocities committed in Liberia are so grave, personal
experience of the war is not required to understand the magnitude of what took
place. But because nothing has been done to deter those who perpetrated crimes
against humanity, they have now capitalized on the negligence of the Liberian
people to institute justice only to inflict harm on the country’s
economy.
Corruption is now institutionalized, and impunity greatly
favored. If justice for Chad is a must how about justice for Liberia?
The more we ignore the level of madness that visited
Liberia; The more we ignore that countless number of innocent people were
raped; tortured, enslaved, and killed; The more we illusively think that
the passing of time will eventually diminish the severity of what took place in
Liberia; The more illusions we build for a peaceful and reconciled
Liberian nation.
For we know, that it is just too wrong for those accused of
committing war crimes, and crimes against humanity to be the same people
in-charge of running the affairs of victims of war.
If we agree that those
accused of war crimes in the country of Chad, should not be the same people
running the affair of the Chadian people;
Then we as well must agree, that it is also wrong for those
accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Liberia, to be
the same people running the affairs of victims of war in that country.
Today in Liberia, suspects of war crimes and crimes against
humanity are now dictating the pace of a “government favored justice process”
that holds no one accountable. This is just too unacceptable at all levels!
Irrespective of the headaches and ruckus that may come with it,
the people of Liberia must hold accountable those bearing the greatest
responsibility for war crimes, and crimes against humanity. And surely the UN
could help by standing with war victims as well.
