Liberia Peacebuilding Office Suspects Disruption Of WECC, If… By: Yassah J Wright

The newly appointed Executive Director of Liberia Peacebuilding Office, Sheikh Kamara, has alarmed and raised red flag of a potential disruption of the War and Economic Crimes Court process expected in Liberia. Speaking in an interview with journalists, Mr. Kamara said he senses a potential disruption and resistance of the War and Economic Crimes Court due to limited awareness across the country regarding the establishment of the court.  According to him, Liberia is at a critical discussion of implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Committee recommendation on the establishment of the court but it’s very sadden that only people in the cities, or urban area who have knowledge about the war and economic crimes court. “There will be a potential disruption and resistance in the process of the implementation of the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court due to the lack of proper awareness and information. If that is not done across the country, especially in rural Liberia, there will be protests and disenchantments because people don’t have the rightful information,” he claimed. Accordingly, he further indicated, people are just hearing about the implementation of the court but don’t know how it came into being or originated from and the public needs to know.  Mr. Kamara urged that the government to create a road map and tell Liberian about the road map that will be able to rollout to the community the process leading to the establishment of the court and it’s importance and benefits. ” If you don’t do that, people will indoctrinate their followers and the court will be hard to accept. The office of the Liberia Peace Building will play and key role in that and we are willing. The government needs to make available give fund,” Mr. Kamara stressed.  He lamented that the office when fund will sanitize the public and country on the court so that tomorrow there will not be disruptions and resistance regarding the implementation of the court and people will not use misinformation and disinformation to subject the people to the negative. He warned that once there is disruption in the implemention of the court, it’s the government that will feel the pains therefore, it’s important at this early stage they create a national road mape for the court and begin to engage into awareness with the right message and information. Mr. Kamara wondered what about those in the rural area of the country, especially far to reach villages, wondering if they are hearing about the court and if so, do they have the right information. He further indicated that there will be a time were people will carry out misinformation and disinformation in the interior were people have little or know knowledge regarding the court and that will cause potential disruption and resistance in the process. When that is happening, how do we disabuse the minds of the people. We need funding to conduct awareness to make people know what it’s about and how it came to birth. Someone thinks it just came but not so from TRC Report and we have to implement it.