News: Survivors of Liberia’s civil wars still awaiting justice
In Liberia, survivors of the civil wars that destabilized the country from 1989 to 2003 are still awaiting justice. Despite legal proceedings initiated in Switzerland, France and the United States, no former warlord has yet been tried in their own country. This situation leaves victims traumatized and frustrated, awaiting a process of reconciliation and justice.
One of those victims is Esther Dahn, a 68-year-old woman who lost a leg in a July 1990 massacre at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Monrovia. Nearly 600 people were killed by members of the Armed Forces of Liberia in the incident. Esther has difficulty moving around today with her two crutches and her arms, wounded by bullets, are still fragile. She still remembers this tragedy with terror and cannot envisage a trial of her attackers, no longer remembering their faces and fearing the consequences of such a step.
The situation is similar for Peterson Sonyah, who lost her father in the same massacre at St. Peter’s Church. At the age of 16, he experienced this horror, and today, as president of the Civil War Survivors Association, he supports nearly 4,800 victims. His fight is to advocate for the creation of a court capable of judging the crimes committed in Liberia during this period. He denounces the impunity of former warlords who still play a political role in the country, totally ignoring the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This impunity contributes to the trivialization of the culture of impunity and compromises the search for truth and justice for victims.
The country’s justice system is failing, and many cases of suspicious deaths go uninvestigated. Additionally, the lack of rehabilitation of former child soldiers has had a negative impact on the younger generation, who have been exposed to drugs and violence. To resolve this problem, certain candidates for the presidential election mention the duty of justice in their campaign program. However, it is essential to put in place real political and institutional will so that these promises come true and victims finally obtain the justice they deserve.
In conclusion, survivors of Liberia’s civil wars face impunity from former warlords and a failing justice system. Their quest for justice and rehabilitation is crucial to ensuring national reconciliation and offering a better future to future generations. It is therefore urgent that concrete measures be taken to prosecute war crimes and put an end to the culture of impunity that persists in the country.