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Liberia:Rights Group declares President Sirleaf a War-Crime suspec
May 21, 2008
Michael Kpayili
The Chief Campaigner of the establishment of a war-court in Liberia has urged President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to voluntarily resign her position as President of Liberia to give way to the establishment of a war-crime court in Liberia.
Mr. Mulbah Morlu said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf being a senior supporter of the defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia is equally rated to that of former President Charles Taylor that is currently undergoing war-crime trial in The Hague. Mr. Mulbah who vowed to defend his campaign in establishing a war-crime court in Liberia maintained that the lives of over Three hundred thousand Liberians that were killed in gruesome civil war in Liberia are not less important than the Sierra Leoneans. He intimated that if the reconciliation process in Liberia is to gain fruit, principle actors and planners of the civil war in Liberia including the Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf must be made to give accounts of their actions.
It can be recalled in one of President Sirleaf public appearances that she disclosed her initial support to NPFL Leader Charles Taylor, but quit on grounds that the former war-Lord, Charles Taylor was a criminal and was also diverting the intent of the so-called revolution. According to Mr. Morlu, the Forum for the Establishment of War-Crime court in Liberia is collaborating with a group based in the United States (STANDS) to launch a powerful campaign in a bid to ensure the establishment of a War-Crime court in Liberia.
There have been several attempts by Mr. Morlu and his group to gain prominence in their quest to establish war-crime court but their efforts had been impede by officials in and outside Government. During the visit of former United Nations Secretary-general Kofi Annan to Liberia, a petition was presented to him on his indulgement over the establishment of a war-crime court in Liberia but his response to the petition was at the displeasure of the campaigners.
Dr. Annan in a clear statement told the campaigners that the establishment of a war-crime court in Liberia must first start from the Government approval and anything on the contrary will make their quest practically impossible. The statement Mr. Morlu declared as untrue.
During the peace agreement held in Ghana, Politicians and Warring fictions Leaders agreed on the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Liberia instead of a war-crime court. Many Liberians including war-crime campaigners have viewed the TRC process to be very weak and unclear in addressing the reconciliation process in Liberia. Former warring fictions leaders and planners of the civil war in Liberia are yet to appear before the TRC for public hearing.
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