IPNEWS: Liberia’s Adama Dempster has held sideline meetings with United States Ambassador for War Crimes and State Department officials over formalities for the establishment War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
Other personalities during those sidelines included members of Congress comprising senior Democrat and Republican Congressional members civil society, the human rights community, and victims of the atrocities of Liberia’s civil wars.
While on a mission to Washington DC, Adama Dempster in collaboration with Human Rights Watch and the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) also held several meetings and presented a Resolution reaffirming Liberian’s commitment to call for the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia endorsed by civil society, justice campaigners, war victims/survivors and the human rights community of Liberia.
The resolution highlights section 46 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Act considering civil society organizations as moral guarantors of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with the responsibility to monitor and campaign for the scrupulous implementation of all recommendations contained in the report.
The resolution in the consolidated counts 3 & 4, also calls on the US Government as a historic friend of the people of Liberia, and particularly through the US Embassy in Monrovia and the Office of Global Criminal Justice, to take action to stand with victims by supporting the establishment of a war crimes court for Liberia, including through h assistance to conduct a needs assessment on setting up a court that can conduct fair, credible trials of civil war era crimes, encouraging a consultative process with the victims and survivors of these crimes, and delivering an unequivocal message to the Liberian government and the public in support of a war crimes court for Liberia; and That all efforts be made to emulate actions taken in the region such as the recent trial for the 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea, prosecutions for atrocity crimes in Sierra Leone before the hybrid Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic, and the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal to deliver justice against crimes and atrocities including sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, torture, summary executions and massacres of civilians committed over the course of the civil wars-era that continued to go unpunished.
In response to US Ambassador after receiving the resolution on her official Twitter page – StateDept_GCJ (@Ambassador Beth Van Schaack, Global Crim Justice) Tweeted: Great to meet again with @AdamaDempster and discuss civil society’s collective resolution demanding justice for Liberia.
“Impunity for war crimes continues to affect all of Liberian society, and we stand with victims as they seek accountability.” The U.S. Amb. stated.
https://twitter.com/statedept_gcj/status/1656105951416418305?s=51&t=a7KlcrQK0VtvpB_X7NgcpAIn
In the aftermath of the presentation of the resolution and engagement with Congress,
Adama Dempster had the opportunity to attend the launch of the US- Africa Policy Working Group- chaired by Congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on May 11, 2023, in Washington DC. At the launch of the US-Africa Policy Working Group, 20 Members of Congress committed to building partnerships with the continent of Africa. As stated in her opening remark, Rep. Omar said “The Working Group will be active on the various urgent crises in Africa, from the conflicts in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the rash of coups and instability in West Africa and the Sahel. But just as importantly, we will also spend time focusing on the continent’s many success stories, from Senegal’s extraordinary leadership in global health to the inspiring African movements for democracy and human rights. Representing Liberia amongst other African representatives,
Dempster had constructive and insightful conversations with Rep. Omar and other congressional leaders on the future of Liberia’s path to justice, promotion, and protection of human rights and democracy.” Dempster also during his DC trip had the opportunity to discuss the need for justice in Liberia with Congressional staff on Capitol Hill. As Liberia counts down to the 20th anniversary of the end of the conflict in August, impunity remains a stain on the country that is contrary to the rights and needs of victims and appears to fuel various problems in the country relating to the respect of the rule of law, including persistent corruption, mysterious deaths, insecurity, and violence.
President Weah has an opportunity to deliver on longstanding needs ahead of the August anniversary by at last taking concrete steps to begin the process to establish a war crimes court. We are looking for him to do so.
