Liberia: Is There a Reason Behind Yekeh’s and Blahyi’s Calls for a WCC?

Published at: 03/30/2024 - 12:42 / Updated at: 03/30/2024 - 12:48
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Article by Guest Contributor

By D. Edwin Clarke

A Liberian Journalist 

Yekeh Y. Kolubah and Milton Blahyi, alias General Butt Naked, are two Liberians that fought Liberia’s deadliest Civil War and carried out countless number of atrocities against innocent people, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Despite their brutal roles, the two former fighters are today key crusaders seeking the establishment of the War Crimes Court. They have gone to all lengths to ensure that the Court is established with a strong desire for them to be exonerated.  

Today, Yekeh Kolubah is one of the Co-Sponsors on the already passed RESOLUTION from the House of Representatives calling for the formation of the War Crimes Court. General Butt-naked and Yekeh, in my judgment, are not at the forefront of seeking the creation of the court only because they want to be tried and if found guilty sentenced to prison, they are trumpeting this call knowing fully well that when the court comes, they will be used as witnesses to testify against those who gave them the guns. My research has informed me that the two ex-fighters are requesting the establishment of the Court because at the end of the day they wouldn’t be tried on the basis of their age at the time of the war. In the STATUE creating the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which I believe, wouldn’t be different from ours, it is stipulated in Article  7 titled: JURISDICTION OVER PERSONS OF 15 YEARS OF AGE, that the Special Court shall have no jurisdiction over any person who was under the age of 15 at the time of the war. 

Attached is ARTICLE 7 with details:  The Special Court shall have no jurisdiction over any person who was under the age of 15 at the time of the alleged commission of the crime. Should any person who was at the time of the alleged commission of the crime between 15 and 18 years of age come before the Court, he or she shall be treated with dignity and a sense of worth, taking into account his or her young age and the desirability of promoting his or her rehabilitation, reintegration into and assumption of a constructive role in society, and in accordance with international human rights standards, in particular the rights of the child.

With this, it’s prudent to know whether the two former fighters were under age when they joined the war, if so, they are already freed, if not, they will face the full weight of the law as compare to those who gave them the guns to create mayhem.

With this, I fully support the War and Economic Crimes Court and I will begin series of articles in regards to how the structure of the court should be in particular reference to the Special Court for Sierra Leone.