MONROVIA- June 23, 2021: The Deputy Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives J. Fonati Koffa has backed the settingup of war crimes Court in Liberia, but warns that certain conditions must be met in order for the court to be setup in the country.

“Let me make it clear here that I am 100 percent in support of the establishment of war crimes Court in Liberia. But I don’t want a hurry, hurry type of court in Liberia,” Deputy Speaker Koffa said in an exclusive interview with a team of reporters representing electronic media institutions at his Capitol Building office.

While filling backing the establishment of war crimes in the country, the Liberian lawmaker and legal scholar advised that all the necessary mechanisms and systems must be put be in place to ensure that the court meets its objectives.

“Firstly, there’s no country in this world that has had war crimes Court established without the backing of the international Communitty. To establish war crimes Court here, we must, first and foremost, amend the Liberian Constitution, create the infrastructure, train lawyers, before talking about prosecuting people who allegedly committed war crimes in Liberia. But I am fully in support of the establishment of war crimes in Liberia.” he said.

The Grand Kru District#2 legislator said the case with Liberia is no exception to other countries where such international jurisprudence have been established.

His statement conicides with mounting calls for the establishment of war crimes Court to prosecute those who bear the greatest responsibility for war crimes committed during the Liberian civil war.

Liberia, Africa’s oldest modern Republic, has had bitter experiences of its most recent history. Founded by freed slaves in 1847, the tiny West African nation which has a population of close to five million, was hammared down by yearsvof carnage recorded in history as one of Africa’s longest and bloodiest civil unrests.

More than 250,000 lives were lost as various waring factions fought for the seat of the Presidency. Between 1990 and 2003, the country accounted for over 600 massacres, according to the country’s Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) report. During the country’s civil strife, women and girls were raped by different rebel groups. Other crimes committed during the civil war included summary executions, live burials, torture, beating to death, recruitment of child soldiers, among other vicious crimes.

The country’s civil war officially ended in August 2003. But there haveen repeated calls from local human rights campaigners for the prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes. Rights crusaders believe prosecuting war criminals would put an end to the culture of impunity.

“Again, let me say that we need train lawyers before we can even think about prosecution. We must make sure that all these things are put in place before war crimes Court is established here,’ Representatives Koffa declared.

However, the Liberian Government has been constantly criticized for not exerting its political will in having the court established in the country. Debate over the creation of war crimes Court in Liberia have also left the population split on whether or not to pursue retributive or restorative justice.

Courtesy of Liberian Journalist Varney Kamara

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