JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

South Africa TRC Logo

The South African style reconciliation will never succeed in Liberia. What transpired in South Africa is different from the Liberian experience and are in no way comparable. Unlike the South Africans that were fighting against racism and brutal repression, the Liberian civil war in my opinion, was a senseless war. We allowed four tribes and few settlers plunged an entire country into one of the bloodiest civil wars know to man. What baffled me the most is that, twenty-one years after the guns are silent; we just do not have anything to show as an achievement for our insane so call revolution. Throughout history, revolutions have been used to effect fundamental change in power or organizational structures, but this has proven to be the complete opposite in Liberia. After the PRC regime was toppled, we realized that it was just the beginning of more suffering for the Liberian people.

Over the years, I keep asking myself these questions and keep coming up with the same answers each time. What did we gain from the war? Did it produce any change? What were the actual motives behind this war? Who benefited from the civil war? Were there any winners or losers? If my answers are the same as every Liberia, than I believe that it is time to start pressuring the Liberian government and the international community to design a process to punish those perpetrators of these crimes against the Liberian people. If these people are allow to go scot-free, there is a strong possibility that they will commit those same atrocities if a similar situation presents itself.

How are we supposed to move on as a nation when the people that kill our families are roaming about with impunity? I have exhausted hours listening to testimonies from the TRC only to get pissed off. I see those testimonies as a complete mockery of victims of the revolution. What made those testimonies ever worse was the fact that some of the people testifying didn’t sound remorseful. I believe some were exaggerating their role in order to make themselves look heroic while others lied about their involvement in the revolution. Is this enough to bring about complete reconciliation? I believe that it is the time for all Liberians to come together and make sure that justice is served. “Justice Delayed is Justice denied”.

Liberia TRC Logo

Since establishing Tmz Liberia on Facebook, I have come to realize that many of the folks who were extremely vocal about the images on Tmz Liberia were confirmed perpetrators and facilitators of crimes that were committed against the Liberian people. They are the same people coming on Tmz Liberia Facebook page and pretending to care about Liberia's image. Having spent several months going through the comments from Liberians all over the world, I have come to the assumption that we are still angry. To my amazement, Tmz Liberia has generated about hundred thousand comments since I started to upload images from the civil war. This is a clear indication that Liberians need to have a candid discussion about incidents that occur in our beloved country. It also shows that Liberia is a ticking time bomb. As hard is this may be for most of us to endure, it is the unfortunate truth.

Having gone through most of the comments on Tmz Liberia Facebook page, I am convinced that until all the murderers that killed our people are punished Liberia will never realize total peace. It is extremely demoralizing that folks that committed these appalling crimes are still roaming around bragging about it; especially those who facilitated or benefited financially from these atrocities. They are the same people that are making the loudest noise about the civil war images been too explicit and not for Facebook. Where is the deterrent, when individuals can kill innocent people and be compensated for their actions like Prince Johnson, Adolphus Dolo et al? Where are we heading LIBERIANS? When I look around Liberia all I see are bloodthirsty ex-combatants and their former leaders that just cannot resist the urge to go back to war. Denouncing our history is the best way to set Liberia up for another Blood bath. 

Liberian LURD Repel Indiscriminately Shelling Monrovia

So many Liberians honestly do not know what others endured during the war. Some were fortunate to have left the country and have no idea what others went through. If you did not experience the civil war, it would be difficult to understand the situation. The images circulating the internet about the Liberian civil war are real and a member of our dark pass. Ignoring them will only lend credence to other to follow a similar path. Over the years, I keep asking myself these questions and keep coming up with the same answers each time. What did we gain from the war? Did it effect any change? What were the actual motives behind this war?

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Contributed By:

Tmz Liberia