As Liberia enters its 21st year of unhindered peace since the signing of the Accra Peace Accord, Justice Minister Oswald N. Tweh says the Government of Liberia is committed to the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court to prosecute those who carried out atrocities during the brutal Liberia civil war.
“It has been 21 years since the signing of the Accra Peace Accord and we as a nation and people have shown our commitment and willingness to maintaining and sustaining the peace through our collective efforts and actions,” said Tweh. Cllr. Tweh said Liberia has had four democratic and peaceful elections, the 4th which brought President Boakai, Sr. to the presidency and witnessed the peaceful transfer of power which occurred at each stage.
“At each stage of these processes of power transfer and leadership, our former presidents have demonstrated and continued to demonstrate their willingness and resolve to maintain the peace we have enjoyed these 21 years and counting,” he said.
According to Minister Tweh, there are still lots of work to do in reconciling, healing and bridging the gaps that still exists in the dispensation of justice, holding law breakers responsible and ensuing that the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are fully implemented.
“For peace to be sustained, we must hold people accountable for their actions so that they do not go with impunity,” Cllr. Tweh added.
Minister Tweh said that impunity breeds lawlessness, encourages conflicts and causes victims of conflicts to suffer in silence without any opportunity for healing, reconciliation and compensation for the wrongs done to them by perpetrators.
Cognizant of these hurdles, President Boakai issued Executive Order Number 131 on May 2, 2024, creating the War and Economic Crimes Court which is charged with developing the necessary framework for a Special War Crimes Court to prosecute individuals responsible for the most egregious crimes committed during the civil wars.
“I am very committed to seeing the President’s agenda of maintaining the peace of our country and to ensuring that the systems and processes that will lead to healing, reconciliation and accountability are instituted and implemented,” Cllr. Tweh said.
Recently, Min. Tweh attended the United Nations Security Council 9710th Meeting on Peace building and Sustaining International Peace from August 21-23, 2024 in New York, United States of America.
In his statement to the Peacebuilding Commission, Cllr. Tweh outlined Liberia’s peacebuilding initiatives and future plans which include addressing the root causes of conflict, ensuring justice for victims, and creating of an environment where all Liberians, especially youths, can thrive in a peaceful and stable society.
Cllr. Tweh stated that the establishment of the war and economic crimes court is not just a legal imperative, but a moral one which represents Liberia’s commitment to ending the cycle of immunity and to delivering justice to the victims of the civil wars and their families, and to send a clear message that such atrocity will never again be tolerated in Liberia.
The Attorney General furthered that justice alone is not enough, but must be accompanied by efforts to heal and rebuild the communities. “As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended, the Government of Liberia is also committed to establishing a Repatriation Trust Fund to support conflict victims. This fund will help victims rebuild their lives and communities, ensuring that they are not forgotten as we move forward,” he said.
He said the sustainability of peace is for each and every Liberian to commit to, demonstrate respect for the rule of law, trust in the justice system and do everything within their power not to take the law into their hands. Minister Tweh called on Liberians to trust the government they elected to do the right thing, but added that it might take time and may seem too slow, but what is not done right is not done at all. “As President Boakai said, this is not business as usual and sustaining the peace of this country is everybody business,” the minister said.
