TRC Gives Diagnoses & Recommendations!

…Final Report Points Out Imbalances

By: Bill K. Jarkloh
www.theperiscope.com/www.panwhanpe.com
Email: billkjarkloh@gmail.com /bill_ksolborjarkloh@yahoo.com
Call: (231)-6-468-244; (231)-77-544-286

The Truth & Reconciliation has release its final edited report containing 10 findings and determinations, 18 additional findings and 13 determinations with three a point-recommendation.
In its findings and determinations, the TRC holds in its final edited report that poverty, governance, its over centralization and the oppressive dominance of the Americo-Liberian oligarchy over the indigenous peoples’ rights and culture is a root cause of the conflict in Liberia, and pointed to the lack of any permanent or appropriate mechanism for the settlement of the disputes, the judiciary being week and unreliable, as the basis for the conflict.
The Commission also names the duality of the Liberian political, social and legal systems which polarizes and widens the disparities between the Liberian peoples – a chasm between settler and indigenous Liberians respectively as be a factor for the conflict, saying that ethnicity and divisive cluster is another determination for the root causes of the conflict.
The nine-member benched TRC considered as another root causes of the conflict, “Entrenched political and social system found on the privilege, patronage, politicization of the military and endemic corruption which created limited access to education and justice, economic and social opportunities and amenities.”
It says other root causes include “Unfair discrimination against women and denial of their rightful place in society as equal partners,” and “historical disputes over land acquisition, distribution and accessibility” as well as “Lack of clarity and understanding of Liberia’s history including its history of conflict.”
“Identity and the crisis of identity engender disunity and undermined Liberian patriotism and sense of nationhood” and “gradual breakdown of the family and loss of its traditional value system” are also considered one of the root causes of the conflict.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) has announced the release and publication of its final reports after several weeks of editing and technical work leading to its publication.
Other 18 count-determination of the TRC points to, amongst others, the including the trace of the origin of the conflict to the history and the founding of a modern Liberian state, are also inclusive in the additional determination in which it was also said that all warring factions violated, degraded, abused and disintegrated, committed sexual and gender-based violence as well against women, including rape sexual slavery, forced marriage, and other dehumanizing forms of violations, amongst others.
The determinations hold that all warring faction are responsible for the commission of gross human rights violations, saying that prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction and other forms of public sanctions are appropriate mechanisms to promote the ends of justice peace and security and foster genuine national reconciliation and combat impunity, etc.
However, while saying both individual and community reparation is the duty of the state to promote justice and genuine reconciliation, the TRC determination furthered that where the determination of responsibility of IHRL, IHL, ICL do not apply.
Toward these ends, the TRC recommended that the people of Liberia adopt positive attitudes and change old mind set, calling on the government to fully and timely implement all recommendations contained in the report, including prosecution and public sanction against various categories of perpetrators. The TRC also implored the international community to continue and consider long term security engagement in the country amongst.
Meanwhile, a TRC release states that the report, which is an edited version of the “TRC FINAL REPORT, VOLUME II, and CONSOLIDATED REPORT (UNEDITED)”, was first released on June 30, 2009. At least 1,500 copies of the report is now in print, courtesy of funding provided by the UNDP.
The report, containing twenty-one (21) chapters and approximately 1,500 pages in all is published in three volumes as follows which include Volume I: Preliminary Report, presented to the government of Liberia December 20, 2008; Volume II: Consolidated Final Report, presented to the government of Liberia June 29, 2009; Volume III: Appendices containing thirteen (13) titles of supplemental and specialized reports.
Volume IV: Transcripts containing ten thousand pages of testimonies from TRC witnesses during the Survivors’ Hearings, Thematic and Institutional Hearings and the TRC Diaspora Hearings, remains unpublished.
According to a TRC press release issued December 1, 2009 in Monrovia, the report provides a historical analysis of the conflict in Liberia, the root causes of the conflict and 142 pieces of recommendations intended to redress Liberia’s legacy of conflict, dysfunction, massive human rights violations and promote national peace, unity and reconciliation.
In all, the report includes eight (8) recommendations for public sanctions and prosecution combined and another eight (8) pieces of recommendations relating to economic crimes.
The remaining total of 126 recommendations relate to a wide range of public interest issues including public integrity, corruption, human rights, economic empowerment, good governance, national identity and reparation, amongst others intended to resolve past conflicts as part of a national progression towards lasting peace and reconciliation.
The Report also contains a list of dead perpetrators, the names, nationalities and probable locations of 102 foreign fighters who operated in Liberia; 26 tables and 5 figures of TRC statistical information; a listing of 116 most notorious perpetrators recommended for prosecution by an Extraordinary Criminal Court and 58 perpetrators recommended for prosecution in the domestic courts of Liberia; public sanctions for 49 persons for their role in supporting, financially and otherwise, various warring factions.
Another 45 persons are recommended for economic crimes prosecution and 54 others recommended for further investigation into their activities related to economic crimes.
The TRC Release furthered that of the over 103,019 former combatants disarmed by the United Nations Mission in Liberia under its demobilization and disarmament programs, the report is recommending that a little over 7,000 face the “Palava Hut Program” as a community reconciliation initiative to build peace at the grass roots level, meaning that of the 103,019 documented perpetrators, 0.169% percent is being recommended for prosecution whilst 6.7% documented perpetrators have been identified to participate in the Palava Hut Program, as would those recommended for economic crimes prosecution and public sanctions on account of their support for various warring factions.
The release signed by TRC media department, quotes the TRC Chairman, Cllr Jerome J. Verdier as saying that the report “is dedicated to the evergreen memory of all those who lost their lives during the Liberian conflict, the children of tomorrow and all who dare to hope for a better Liberia”.
He said the completion of this exercise and the release of the report “marks the rebirth of a new Liberia in which all Liberians irrespective of their roles or experiences in the past will acknowledge the throes of the bitter past and unite for a peaceful and more prosperous Liberia”.
The TRC release called on Liberians to spare no efforts in working and praying for unity, peace, justice and reconciliation in Liberia while thanking the Almighty God for his benevolence to the nation and its people. The release concluded that the Report is published on the TRC website and will be disseminated locally and internationally.
The TRC, through the release, is thanking the government, its many partners, stakeholders and the people of Liberia for their support during this national enterprise. The TRC now awaits its formal retirement by the government of Liberia, the release concluded.