Perhaps he is the first presidential appointee and stalwart of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC, that has out rightly declared his support for the establishment of a ‘war crimes court’ for Liberia.
Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee quoted by a press release on Wednesday said he supports the court because he too was a victim of the war.
Mayor Koijee’s latest pro-war crimes court remarks come few weeks after U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, Beth Van Schaack, visited Liberia amid renewed calls from justice activists for the George Weah-led administration to establish a war crimes court to prosecute war criminals.
Approximately over 200 thousand people perished, hundreds others were internally displaced and others forced into exile during the nearly 14 years of senseless armed conflict in Liberia.
Today, some of the perpetrators of the long years of armed conflicts are freed men and women, while some of them serve in appointed and elected positions as if they had done nothing wrong, while President Weah, who then as UNICEF Ambassador, advocated for the establishment of a war crime court for Liberia is mute on the matter. Mr. Weah now has all it takes in power to carry on the establishment of the court, if he wants to.
Besides, his muteness has become a disappointment to many Liberians, who believe that unlike his predecessor, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the former UNICEF Peace Ambassador and his government would have made the establishment of the War Crime Court for Liberia top on the agenda.
For his critics, the President is apprehensive of the establishment of a war crimes court because of his alleged support to the defunct MODEL rebel group, although no one has up to now proven the President involvement with the rebel movement.
Besides, even the current National Chairman of the President’s ruling CDC, Mulbah Morlue, years back also led a campaign in support of the establishment of the court, but he, too, has abandoned the campaign apparently because of his standard bearer, President Weah’s little interest in the establishment of the court.
Mr. President, it is never too late. We think Mayor Koijee’s public declaration of his support for the establishment of the court must be a wakeup call to you because the International Community is watching you and your Government with keen interest.
