‘Acid Rain’ To Fall Soon, If…

-While Trouble Looms Over Warring Factions; As LNBA Reawakens TRC’s Recommendations For Discussion

By R. Joyclyn Wea

Members of defunct warring factions or key actors of the fourteen years of civil unrest in Liberia are said to in serious trouble as the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) vows to begin discussions on the Truth Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report.

The Liberian civil war has been one of the brutal events recorded in history as over thousands of citizens were killed in the process; something that also led to several infrastructures being destroyed.

After many years, Liberians are leading a campaign for perpetrators of these heinous crimes against the state and people to face prosecution for their actions.

Despite pressure from different groupings for the Liberian Government headed by President George Weah to sign the TRC documents for implementation, the chances of signing this document is said to be far from realization.

In the midst of all of this, the current leadership of the LNBA had joined such calls’ promising that the TRC Report will not be swept under the carpet on grounds that it is one of the major reasons why its leadership was massively elected.

Speaking with Judicial Reporters Monday, March 25, 2019, LNBA General Secretary, Cllr. Bobby Livingstone indicated that the Bar is at the center stage of lifting the TRC Report at the level of national forum, therefore, the LNBA would ensure this is placed on the table for discussion.

“When LNBA got the mantle of leadership; one of the promises made was that, they wanted to be the general counsel of the Liberian population which is one of the ways the Truth & Reconciliation Commission can be effectively done,” Cllr. Livingstone.

According to him, this is also geared towards making sure the Bar will be on the national discourse of every matter that has to do with the survivability of the country, particularly on the rule of law.

He further emphasized that as means of building the peace and sustaining democracy in Liberia, the LNBA will be a part of various groupings to begin drawing attention in order for the country to take a definite stand on the matter for the sake of prosperity.

He noted that while it is true that the matter has both legal and political implications, they as leaders of the LNBA are interested in the legal aspect and is therefore calling on all lawyers of the assembly to be part of the process.

“This topic can no longer be swept under the carpet. Based on experience gathered from countries like Sierra-Leone, Rwanda, we want to use these countries since they have similar experience like ours, with respect to the civil war, tragic; to pair this matter in order to reinforce our future called.” he emphasized.

TNR