-Says Dempster; Calls for Fast-tracking Tribunal Establishment
By Mark N. Mengonfia
Liberia-Senator Prince Johnson’s death, according to a human rights advocate, has left a void of accountability as he is no more to account for his actions and to clear his name for his alleged roles in the decimation of thousands of lives of Liberians as well as the destruction thereof.
Advocate Adama Kiatamba Dempster, one of several Liberians who bemoaned the delay in the establishment of a special tribunal for the warlords in Liberia, said “The death of Sen. Johnson left accountability gap that he did not answer.”
The rights advocate contended that Senator Johnson’s passing is a sad moment that has a deep meaning for an accountability process, to have recorded his account before the war crimes court.
According to him, the Nimba County Senator could have been held, but no one has control over death, adding, “It’s sad but more importantly justice delayed got impact in bringing people to account for their crimes.”
Not only does Demptser want for people to be tried and clear their names before the proposed court, but so also is human rights lawyer, Tiawan Gongloe who in a recent interview before the death of the Senator said, “People whose names are on that list need to pray for the court to be established to clear their names because if their names are not cleared, 50 years from now, somebody will write a good history and put one tribe against the other, put one county against the other people bearing their names or fingers will be pointed at their relatives.”
In that interview when he was asked if he wanted his kinsman, Prince Johnson to account, the Human Rights lawyer responded in the affirmative and asked that those who are alive pray for the court to be established to clear their names so that it does not create future problems for the country.
“All Liberians must be pushing is for the country to stabilize and some people will walk out free,” the human rights lawyer said.
Johnson, one of those named as bearing the greatest responsibility of war crimes and crimes against humanity according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), died Thursday, November 28, 2024, not having the opportunity to accounting for what he was accused of.
His death news suddenly spread like wildfire across the length and breadth of the country and the world, and people on social media celebrating this death while others mourned the passing of a great man of Nimba.
Liberian Vice President, Jerimiah Kpan Kuoung, Lawmakers, including both Speakers of the House of Representatives and ordinary Liberian trooped their ways to the House of the Senator to confirm his death.
People were seen crying out loud while others stood in dismay that the 72 years old “ godfather of Nimba” died without clearing his name from the list of those who bear the greater responsibilities for the 14 years of civil unrest that took the lives of approximately 250, 000 and caused a setback to Liberia as a nation.
But Johnson’s death is not the only war crimes perpetrator scenario, there were others alleged perpetrators who were arrested before other tribunal awaiting trial and they died in the process.
Other who have died without facing their accusers are, Roosevelt Johnson a key leader of the United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO-J) who was known for conflicts with rival factions during the civil war, Alhaji G.V. Kromah, Founder and leader of ULIMO-K, a splinter faction of ULIMO, played a significant role during Liberia’s first civil war and now Prince Y. Johnson Former leader of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), a breakaway faction of Charles Taylor’s NPFL known for the infamous execution of President Samuel Doe in 1990.
There are others who are still alive and they include Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is allegedly linked to supporting Charles Taylor’s NPFL early in the conflict, George E. S. Boley, Leader of the Liberia Peace Council (LPC) whose faction was accused of human rights violations during the civil war.
Others are, Thomas Yaya Nimely, who is now a senator for Grand Gedeh. He was a leader of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), which was active during the second Liberian civil war, Sekou Damate Conneh, leader of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), another faction in the second civil war.
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