The devastating impact of corruption, the blatant disregard for the rule of law including impunity, nepotism, tribalism, and other malign influences led us to a dire situation by April, 1996. During this time, malevolent leaders of warring factions in Monrovia launched a savage attack on the vulnerable populace, resulting in the tragic loss of thousands of lives and the obliteration of public and private properties, amounting to billions of dollars in damages.
Among those suffering under the tyranny of Charles Taylor, Alhaji Kromah, Roosevelt Johnson, Milton Blayee, aka General Butt Naked, George Boley, Yayah Nimely and others, were approximately 5,000 Liberians and other West African nationals, who managed to escape these horrors by boarding the Nigerian commercial vessel, the Bulk Challenge in search of safe haven in Ghana and other West African countries as we had turned ours into a slaughter house.
Fast forward to today, exactly three decades or 30 years later, and yet the same destructive forces that escalated into a ruthless civil war appear to persist visibly in our society. Without proactive measures to address and curb these malevolent influences, there exists a grave risk of repeating the tragic chapters of our history. It is imperative that we learn from the past and work collectively towards fostering peace, tolerance, and justice to avert reliving such a dark period. This is why the establishment of a war crime court is imperative to allow real actors responsible for some of the egregious atrocities to give account of their deeds.
If we, as a nation and as individuals, fail to take the necessary time to deeply reflect on our historical actions and truly internalize the lessons from the wrongs we’ve committed against each other, our chances of evolving our collective mentality and perspective are slim, and we risk perpetually being trapped in a cycle of stagnation with no real advancement or improvement.
I dedicate this moment of reflection to the enduring memories of our fellow compatriots. Their lives were tragically cut short, their blood spilled by those ruthlessly driven by greed and malice, all under the guise of pursuing state power. Let us honor their sacrifices and ensure their stories are never forgotten in our collective pursuit of justice and peace.
I, my country Liberia!