‘TRC Final Report Fit for Dust Bin’

MONROVIA – Prince Yormie Johnson, former leader of the erstwhile Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), has reacted angrily to the latest and final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) calling for prosecution of former faction leaders in the Liberian conflict.

Johnson, along with several other ex-warring faction leaders, have been recommended for prosecution on war crimes charges.

Addressing a news conference Friday at his Paynesville residence outside Monrovia, Johnson, who is now senior senator of Nimba County in the National Legislature, declared that the TRC final report is a recipe for chaos and conflict, stating that it is only fit for the dustbin.

The TRC, in the report, also recommended the establishment of an “Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal for Liberia” to try all persons recommended for commission of human rights violations including violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, war crimes, egregious violations of domestic laws of Liberia and economic crimes.

At the news conference, Johnson indicated that he had a copy of the TRC Final Report which, he said, had linked him to human rights violations including rape, murder, execution, looting and other crimes.

“My name was placed on the list of most notorious perpetrators by the TRC,” he added.

Johnson, however, contended that he had committed no human rights violations, including rape, during the war.

“They say I raped. Whom did I rape? Where is the evidence to prove that I raped. I never raped anybody in my life. Has the TRC brought forth my accusers to face me?” he asked.

“This report is a recipe for chaos and conflict, which we will never succumb to. It lacks evidence.”

Even the national legislature, he said, would not lend any credence to the TRC final report.

Johnson counter recommended that “the entire final report of the TRC be discarded,” insisting that those who wrote the report were not neutral.

The former warlord made specific reference to TRC Commissioner, John Stewart, who he said presided over the TRC Report Writing Committee.

“Stewart is a former member of Black Beret,” he alleged. The Black Beret was a military group organized and trained by the then Monrovia-based Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) headed by Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer during the Liberian armed conflict, he said, and was was not a constitutional army.

Johnson added that Stewart had consistently denied participating in the Liberian armed conflict as a combatant.

However, the former warlord alleged, Stewart wrote an affidavit some time ago, a copy of which was sent to a district court in the United States of America (USA), when Dr. George S. Boley sued a group of TRC partners (the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights) for accusing him of human rights violations in Liberia.

In the affidavit, Johnson said, Stewart admitted that he had participated in the war in Liberia as a combatant.

Stewart, in support of the organization’s claims against Boley, wrote the affidavit to convince the U.S. district court that Boley was indeed a notorious violator of human rights in Liberia, Johnson alleged.

However, Stewart and the human rights group failed to substantiate the allegations against Boley in the USA, Johnson said.

The Nimba County senator also told the news conference that the legal advisor to the TRC, whom he did not name, had earlier stated that the commission’s report contained “several irregularities,” as there was no substantial evidence against those accused of war crimes.

Johnson called on the international community, including the United States government, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), among others, not to give credence to the TRC final report.

“The TRC, in the report, served as our accuser, jury and judge at the same time,” he asserted.

Johnson also rejected charges of his involvement in looting during the Liberian conflict, but said he took food from the Free Port of Monrovia during the climax of the war “to feed the hungry.”

“I provided rice and security for thousands of hungry people in my control area at the time. Even when Amos Sawyer’s IGNU arrived in Monrovia, I provided its officials, including Sawyer, Stewart and others, food. Did they ever ask where I took the food from?” Johnson asked.

“I provided protection for thousands of people and businesses,” he said.

When contacted Saturday, December 5, 2009 at his central Monrovia residence for comments on Johnson’s claims that he (Stewart) had written an affidavit to a U.S. district court in support of war crimes charges against Boley by the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, and his alleged admission that he was a fighter in the Liberian war, Stewart said he was “not prepared to dignify Prince Johnson’s rubbish.”

Among those recommended for prosecution by the TRC is Charles Taylor, former leader of the disbanded armed rebel group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).

Taylor, who, like the Nimba County senator, is also a former warlord, is currently on trial in the United Nations-backed, Netherlands-based Special Court for Sierra Leone for his alleged role in the decade-long Sierra Leonean armed conflict.

Others recommended by the TRC for prosecution include Alhaji G. V. Kromah of the United

Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) and ULIMO-K; Boley of the Liberia Peace Council (LPC); Thomas Nimely Yaya of Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL); Sekou Damante Konneh of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD); D. Roosevelt Johnson of ULIMO and ULIMO-J; and Francois Massaquoi of the Lofa Defense Force. Both Massaquoi and Roosevelt Johnson are deceased.

The TRC also recommended that several persons, though found to be responsible, not be prosecuted, due to their cooperation with the TRC process, admission to the crimes committed before the commission and their expressions of remorse for their actions during the war.

Among those recommended for pardon are Joe Wylie, Joshua Milton Blayee, Eugene Zinnah Gray, Emmanuel Sando Gray, Allan M. Nicholas, Joseph Kpagbor, Mulbah Sheriff, Papa Ballah, Bob Kofi Zar, Alfred Suah Debleh, Amah Youlu, among others.

The commission further reported that all those recommended for prosecution be barred from holding public office for 30 years as a form of public sanction.

The report indicated that those recommended for prosecution but presently holding elected office shall continue to the end of their tenure but not be eligible to contest any public office in future.

“This recommendation considers that holding a by-election now would be impracticable in light of current global financial constraints for which Liberia is no exception.

“However, those holding appointed offices should resign immediately. In the event they fail to resign immediately, all remuneration should be cancelled,” the report maintains.

While asserting that the list of political leaders and financiers of different warring factions mentioned in the report is by no means exhaustive, the TRC recommended the following for public sanctions: Allen Brown, Sr., Randall Cooper, Ethelbert Cooper, Toga Gayewea McIntosh, Jackson E. Doe, D. Bob Taylor, Dew Mason, Nyan Manten, Clarence Simpson, Byron Tarr, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Harry Yuan, Isaac Nyenabo, Kabineh Ja'neh, Archie Williams, Tonia King, J. Appllo Swen, Joe Gbala, Thomas Ziah, Maxwell Kaba, Ignatius Clay, Vamba Kanneh, Valee Keita, Paul Mulbah and El Mohammed Sheriff.

Others include Prince Sio, Abbas Konneh, Aisha Konneh, Morris Dolley, Alhaji Seou Fofana, Charles Bennie, Moses Jarbo, K.B.K Sando, Kai Farley Joe Tuan and Grace Minor.