A special commemoration program for victims and survivors of the July 29, 1990 St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Massacre started here Monday with calls by the Catholic Church in Liberia for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal in Liberia after the TRC.

	• Fr. Andrew Karnley

Monsignor Andrew Karnley, Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Church in Liberia said Liberians must come to terms with issue of reconciliation and justice as there can be no reconciliation without justice.

“We must ensure that those who bear the greatest responsibilities for the horrors in Liberia must be held accountable for the crimes committed,” Fr. Karnley said, attracting a thunderous applause from worshippers who jammed packed the scene of the massacre to commemorate the killings.

He called on Liberians to see massacres committed by various factions in the civil war as lessons saying they must vow they will never be repeated. Father Karnley said those who committed economic and war crimes during the country’s years of conflict must be held accountable for their actions.

“What happens after the TRC? Let’s stand for justice. Let us stand up for righteousness. If we fail to hold them accountable for their crimes, some of us will become victims again one day,” he added.

The Catholic prelate said the church will lobby with its partners for the establishment in Liberia of a hybrid of the war crimes court in Sierra Leone.
 He lamented the massacre of the defenseless citizens who had sought refuge in the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

“They had come to the house of God to seek refuge under his watchful eyes but wicked men came and murdered them right in the presence of God.”

Father Karnley also called for the erection of special memorials for all victims of the conflict at strategic locations around the country.

“The truth telling process in a therapeutic one, we believe that special memorials must be constructed at the approaches to our major cities to serve as remembrance for all those who lost their lives during this national horror,” he said.

The Pastor of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church said since the massacre the Government of Liberia has failed to highlight the plight of victims and survivors and thanked the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia for collaborating with the church to remember the victims.

“It is 18 years today since this genocide took place here and today we are going to hear the truth. But we would want to know what will happen to the victims of the July 29, 1990 nightmare".

"We would not stop there, we would like to know what the government and the international community would do to ensure that the rights of people are protected. This genocide has not been highlighted on the agenda of government,” Pastor Thomas Paye said.

Pearl Brown-Bull, TRC Oversight Commissioner for Montserrado County said sin can only be expatiated by the true confessions of the offenders or relatives of the offenders to their victims. She said as Liberians embark on the eve of the difficult decision of reconciliation, they must now tell the truth.

“Our judgment of our fellowmen is most often author in human bias. The legacy of our civil war was an alter of sin. It is through the process of confession that genuine reconciliation can be attained. There can be no reconciliation unless there is confession. That is a form of justice,” Mrs. Brown-Bull said.

TRC Chairman Counsellor Jerome Verdier said the incident at the church was a clear manifestation of man’s inhumanity to man. Counsellor Verdier said the event at the church must not be forgotten as it must serve as a reminder to all Liberians that when society disintegrates ruthlessness is the order.

The program was attended by Nimba County Senators Prince Johnson and Adolphus Dolo, who is said to be one of the survivors. Hundreds of women, children and men who had taken refuge in the church were massacred on Sunday, July 29, 1990.

Initial reports at the time of the massacre put the death toll at 200 to 300 but survivors of the attack said troops had broken into the church and killed men, women, children and babies with knives, guns and cutlasses.

Witnesses said at least 600 refugees were killed putting the number of refugees in the church at 2,000. Reports said a group of 30 soldiers firing machine guns stormed the church compound and fired point blank at some of the 2,000 refugees who had been there since National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel forces reached the capital.

During the three day event survivors of the massacre, most of who still bear the physical scars of the incident will recount their experiences.

Senator Taylor Fulfills Campaign Promise

With support from the World Bank, Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, Senior Senator of Bong County has completed the construction of what is said to be first modern school in Wannie -ta, Bong County.

	• Sen. Jewel Howard Taylo

The construction, according to a statement, is in fulfillment of her campaign promise to the people of the town.

It may be recalled that during the 2005 general and presidential elections, Senator Taylor, then a candidate, promised to construct a modern school complex and prayed the electorates to vote her into office.

True to the promise, Taylor who finished the race as senior senator, and with a heroine spirit, has succeeded in constructing the school, which was inaugurated on July 9, 2009.

The statement from her office said, on Wednesday, July 9, 2008, hundreds of citizens from Wannie-ta and surrounding villages thronged the compound of the newly constructed school to witness its dedication. Wearing extra miles on their faces, the villagers danced in jubilation for the construction of the school, which will benefit their children.

The statement said the school, the first in the history of town, was built through the auspices and instrumentality of Senator Taylor with funding from the World Bank. The Liberia Agency for Community Development (LACE), implemented the project for and on behalf of Senator Taylor and World Bank.

In a statement during activities marking the school’s dedication, Senator Taylor praised the citizens of Wannie-ta for their support and urged them to use the facility wisely.

She also commended the World Bank, her funding partner, and LACE, implementing partner, for their support and encouraged them to do more for the good of Liberian children.

LACE Board Chairman, David Farhat and Deputy Director Elizabeth Mulbah, who graced the occasion, lauded Senator Taylor for exhibiting what they called “the quality of a true representative” of the people of Bong County.

The LACE officials expressed gratitude that their institution was part of the milestone achievement. The Bong County Senator has been instrumental, since her  ascendancy to the post, in articulating the views and aspirations of Bong County and executing development programs.`

COPE Worries Over Upsurge Of Armed Robbery 

A Pro Democracy Group, under the Banner” the Center for Peace Education and Democracy (COPE) says it’s troubled by the growing waves of armed robberies in the country, despite the huge presence of over fourteen soldiers of the United Nations Peace keeping force.

COPE Program Director, Miss Wonnetta Beargar in a release yesterday termed as not only worrisome, but also alarming the unusual upsurge of armed robberies in Monrovia and its environs.

Miss Beargar whose organization is in the fight  in the battle against the proliferation of small arm and light weapons in Liberia is calling on the Liberian government to rise up to the feet  and forcefully  take onto armed robbers.

The COPE Executive maintained that the intention of those terrorizing Liberians at night is to make the entire country uncomfortable and unsecured not only for the citizens of Liberia, but also the business community and individuals who are interested in investing in the country recovery drives.

“The upsurge of armed robberies in the city and environs has the propensity to scare away potential investors and indict the entire country to the International community,” Miss Beargar noted.

She used the release to call on the Liberian government to not only investigate those illegally carrying firearms, but to also bring the full force of the law to bear on them as a way of deterrence to other would be criminals