By Abraham Multimedia Kollie
Email: abrahamokollie@gmail.com
March 4, 2024, Monrovia, Liberia: House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa convened a significant meeting with United States Ambassador-at-Large Beth Van Schaach and a delegation from the Office of Global Criminal Justice.
The focal point of this gathering was the urgent establishment of a War Crimes Court in Liberia to investigate alleged perpetrators of the 14-year Liberian Civil War.
The high-stakes discussion unfolded within the walls of Speaker Koffa’s Capitol Building Office in Monrovia. During the meeting, Speaker Koffa emphasized the legislature’s unwavering commitment to justice for war victims.
However, he underscored that this commitment would not be at the expense of sensitivity toward those who feel targeted.
Speaker Koffa assured that the Legislature would act in accordance with the will of the Liberian people. As elected representatives, they would cast their votes based on what the citizens desired.
The Speaker also pledged a thorough and comprehensive debate, weighing all aspects, including reconciliation, peace maintenance, and fairness for alleged perpetrators to face trial.
The Liberian Civil War, spanning from late 1989 to 2003, inflicted immense suffering. Up to a quarter of a million lives were lost, and thousands more endured mutilation and rape—often at the hands of drugged child soldiers led by ruthless warlords.
The uprising initiated by Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) against President Samuel Doe’s government in 1980 set the stage for this protracted conflict.
As lead war crime advocate Dr. Allen White and U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Beth Van Schaach continue their persistent engagement, the momentum for establishing a War Crimes Court in Liberia grows stronger. The pursuit of justice remains paramount, even as the nation grapples with its painful past.
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