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This writer is stunned and taken aback by the ambiguous
positions by some Liberian political operatives, particularly
on the Charles Taylor extradition to face the Special
Court in Sierra Leone to answer the indictments. According
to news reports emanating from a presidential debate
held on August 19, 2005 in Monrovia, among the first
four presidential candidates, namely Messers Togba-Nah
Tipoteh, Roland Massaquoi, Varney Sherman and Ms Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf , organizers and the media sought
a simple commitment from the contenders: “Who
is willing to turn over former President Charles Taylor
to the Special Court in Sierra Leone?”
The answers of the contenders ranged from …”lets
not personalize this matter …” to “Charles
Taylor will come to this country if the Liberian people
decide so and the leadership will have no option but
do accept that.”
According to the a media release issued by INTERPOL
on December 04, 2003, in Lyon France, “At the
request of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Interpol
has issued a Red Notice for former Liberian President
Charles Taylor. This is in accordance with a cooperation
agreement between Interpol and that court, finalized
in November 2003. Charles Taylor resigned as President
of Liberia on 11 August 2003 and was granted asylum
in Nigeria. The Special Court for Sierra Leone was
established as a result of UN Security Council Resolution
1315 of 14 August 2000. It has indicted Charles Taylor
on charges of crimes against humanity, violations
of the Geneva Convention and other serious violations
of international law.”
The position of the international community is unified
and crystal clear. There is a 17-count indictment
issued on March 7, 2003 by the Special Court for Sierra
Leone against Mr. Taylor. For the record, Mr. Taylor
made an application to the Special Court in which
he sought to have the indictment and arrest warrant
quashed citing the benefits of immunity as a Head
of State and jurisdiction of the Court. His application
was adjudicated and subsequently dismissed. Liberia
is not before the court. Taylor is and rightly so.
Considering international law, its is quite clear
that states’ sovereignty does not inhibit the
prosecution of Heads of State before an international
tribunal
The argument is made by ECOWAS, the Nigerian government
and the African Union that they have no credible information
that Mr. Taylor is “meddling” in the political
affairs of Liberian, which is a violation of the terms
of his asylum deal. Thus, they are resisting pressure
and calls to turn Mr. Taylor over to the Special Court
but have hinted they may consider releasing Mr. Taylor
to a duly elected Liberian government after the October
election. This is beside the point. If Liberians,
through their government, demand that Mr. Taylor accounts
for his alleged crimes, then so be it!
It is quite understandable that some politicians and
lay people are terrified of the possibility that Taylor’s
return to Liberia may regenerate another murderous
chapter. Remember his parting words just before Mr.
Taylor flew into exile, ‘God’s willing,
I shall return…..” . Additionally, Liberians
have been brutalized and humiliated and killed over
and over and over by prior governments.
The only comfort here is the fact that failed leaders
like Idi Amin of Uganda, Jean Bedel-Bokassa, of the
Central African Republic, Mengistu Haile Meriam of
Ethiopia, Slobadan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, among
others, have yet to return to power!
The bold, honest and right answer by any of the presidential
aspirants should be a clear, unequivocal and unambiguous
commitment to the rule of law; in this instance requesting
for and turning over Mr. Taylor to the Special Court
so that justice can be served. There is no room for
legal and political acrobatics for any future leader
in this matter!
The dignity of Liberians and their nation must be
restored by our leaders who should be prepared to
honor and respect human rights and international law.
Liberians have a right to demand a straightforward
commitment for justice from their leaders and hold
them to it.
Reconciliation is identifying the wrong, accountability
and restitution.
About the author: Emmanuel Abalo is an exiled Liberian journalist , media and human rights activist. He served as a former News Director of the erstwhile Catholic owned ELCM Community Radio and later with the Liberian Broadcasting System (ELBC). He is the former Acting President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) . Mr. Abalo presently resides in Pennsylvania, USA and works as an analyst with CITIGROUP, North America.
