Liberia: Impunity Breeds Lawlessness! – allAfrica.com

Liberia’s Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh says impunity breeds lawlessness and encourages conflicts, expressing President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s commitment to ensuring perpetrators account for their wrongs.

The Acting Chair of the Cabinet spoke during the celebration of Liberia’s 21st Anniversary of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement (ACPA) signed in 2003 to end Liberia’s 14 years of brutal civil conflict.

The event was planned and implemented on August 30, 2024, at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town by the University of Liberia (UL)-based Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation (KAICT).

Cllr. Tweh added that impunity also causes victims of conflicts to suffer in silence without any opportunity for healing, reconciliation, and compensation for the wrongs done to them by perpetrators.

He detailed that President Boakai has issued an executive order establishing the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court, which will lead to the establishment of a special war crimes court for Liberia.

As Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Tweh also expressed his commitment to implementing President Boakai’s agenda of maintaining Liberia’s peace and ensuring the institutement of the systems and processes that will lead to healing, reconciliation, and accountability.

“I want you to know this, immunity 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,” said Minister Tweh.

Celebrated under the theme “Reconciling and Uniting for Sustainable Peace in Liberia,” the program brought together past and present government officials, signatories of the ACPA, the diplomatic community, and students, among others.

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Held in the form of a dialogue, the celebration gave the platform to some people who signed the 2003 Peace Agreement to share their experiences on what prompted them to sign the instrument that brought peace to Liberia.

Giving the overview of the celebration, KAICT Director Prof. T. Debby Sayndee said the day is celebrated not just because Liberia has peace.

Instead, Prof. Sayndee noted that it was intended to remember what twenty-one years of peace means for the citizens and the country, what steps have been taken, the challenges faced, and the successes celebrated.

United States Ambassador to Liberia Mark Toner congratulated Liberians for maintaining the peace for 21 years after the civil war.

“On behalf of my colleagues at the United States Embassy, I congratulate all Liberians on this Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement anniversary,” the U.S. Envoy said.

“Liberia experienced two devastating civil wars before the signing of the Accra Agreement, and today, we mark the 21st Anniversary of sustained peace. This is indeed something to celebrate,” he noted.

According to the US Ambassador, it took enormous courage, commitment, and sacrifice on the part of so many Liberians, including women, youth, civil society, and religious groups, to bring an end to the brutal civil wars and make this lasting peace possible.

He applauded all Liberians who, during those dark days, saw a better future for their country and never gave up until peace and stability were restored.

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