Despite the incident in Fish Town involving two commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), public hearings are ongoing this time in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
At Monday hearing, it was disclosed that fighters of the defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) massacred scores of ethnic Krahns in 1990 when ECOMOG peacekeeping soldiers tried to evacuate them from Liberia.
According to the witness, the victims were transported onboard five ECOMOG trucks from the Barclay Training Center (BTC) to the Freeport of Monrovia on September 11, a day following the death of President Samuel Kanyon Doe to await evacuation when INPFL fighters under the command of General Prince Johnson stormed the port and demanded their turnover.
In his testimony during day one of the TRC Public Hearings in Zwedru, Henry Zonweayea, local Chairman of the ruling Unity Party who survived the massacre, said following their arrival at the Freeport they were temporarily housed in a warehouse of the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC) before Johnson, then leader of the INPFL, now Senator of Nimba County, arrived and demanded that the peacekeepers released all of the evacuees to him.
He quoted Prince Johnson as informing the soldiers of the evacuation plan, but he contended that they would not be evacuated. Witness Zonweayea said the INPFL leader instead ordered his fighters to bundle several of the evacuees into two waiting pickups and a bus.
According to him, the victims were taken to the Caldwell Bridge where all of them were ordered to kneel down as the fighters shot them in execution style.
Zonweayea who claimed to have escaped the massacre, said those murdered numbered up to 50. He named some of the dead as former Police Intelligence Chief, Peter Thomas and National Housing Authority (NHA), Managing Director Samuel Tody.
He explained that when Johnson later returned to the port and ordered his fighters to take away another batch of the evacuees, he was held by ECOMOG soldiers under the command of General Joshua Dogonyarro who demanded that the last batch be returned before his release.
The INPFL leader, he said at that time communicated with his deputy Gen. Samuel Varney who had already lined them up for execution. Mr. Zonweayea testified that it was following the returned of the captives that Gen. Dogonyarro ordered Johnson’s release.
Also appearing Monday, another witness 70 years old George G. Quiah said fighters of the defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia NPFL) killed dozens of inhabitants of Gbarbloh Town, Grand Gedeh County before setting the town ablaze.
He said the NPFL rebels who pleaded with the town’s inhabitants to return from the bush deceived them that LPC leader George Boley sent them to carry the villagers to Tuzon for a meeting.
“We believed the fighters and everybody came out and lined up but we were surprised when they started to kill everybody,” the witness said.
TRC is an independent body set up to investigate the root causes of the Liberian crisis, document human rights violations, review the history of Liberia, and put all human rights abuses that occurred during the period from 1979 to 2003 on record.
TRC mandate is to also identify victims and perpetrators and make recommendations on amnesty, prosecution and reparation. The ongoing public hearings in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County are being held under the theme:
“Confronting Our Difficult Past For A Better Future.” The hearings will Monday move to the port city of Greenville, Sinoe County.
WOLPNET Simplifies AU Protocol
By J. Nathaniel Daygbor
The Women of Liberia Peace Network (WOLPNET) along with its local and international partners have launched a campaign to simplify the African Union protocol to the Liberian public about the rights of women.
The Chief Executive Officer of the women advocacy organization Madam Una Kumbah Thompson said that the simplification exercise of the African Union protocol is to give Liberians especially uneducated ones the full picture of the protocol of how it can be apply to the Liberian Constitution.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two meeting on March 4, 2008, this was organized by WOLPNET in Sinkor Monrovia, brought together over 25 participants from various organizations including the Federation of Liberian Youths, Foundation for International, and Voice of the Voiceless, amongst others.
Madam Thompson said that her organization is keenly looking at the portion of the protocol that had to do with the rights of women. The African Union came to force in 2003, when African heads of States signed the protocol and was ratified, but President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ratified it in December 2007.
She said WOLPNET is making all effort to take the simplification of the protocol to all parts of the country, adding that the citizens especially women will know their constitutional and conventional rights under the simplification of the protocol that her organization is currently under taking and that the rights of everyone will be explained to the letter.
She furthered said that the most effective way to empower and make them active is to explained their rights to them that they will be informed and make decision.
Una Kumbah Thompson disclosed that the Liberian government should help to the full to stop some of bad culture practices, “things that are harmful through our culture practices must be stop by the government”, she said.
LWAC 35th Episcopal Dist. PAW Ends 80th Annual Confab
The Liberia West Africa Council 35th Episcopal District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the world (PAW) on Sunday March 2, 2008 ended it’s 80th Annual Convention under the theme: "United We Stand", with text taken from 1st Corinthian l:l-10.
The weekend long convention held at the Miracle and Praise Worship Center in the J.J.Y Community in Gardnersville brought together members of the Christian community, senior government officials, including Vice President Joseph N. Boakai and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
Delivering his annual message at the convention, PAW Diocesan Bishop Dr. Leo M. Simpson extended his warmest apostolic Pentecostal salutations to the President and and her delegation, and praised the awesome name of Jesus Christ.
He said he was happy PAW members were gathered from all over to attend and actively participate in the historic 80th annual convention”.
Bishop Simpson told the congregation that it is unarguably clear that at this historic crossroad in the life of the PAW unity should characterize their activities.
“Unity is indispensable and inescapable. United we must stand. At this glorious hour while the positive wind of change blow gently upon the horizon".
"Let us all once more be reminded that the Lord Jesus, the visible representation of the Invincible omnipotent God, fervently bless our unity according to the Book of John Chapter 17. Bishop Simpson cautioned PAW members to allow themselves to be gently arrested by the Spirit of introspection.
President Ellen Johnson lauded Bishop Simpson and the PAW Church for their 80th anniversary and for selecting the theme "United We Stand", which she believes would cut across Liberia and the Church.
President Sirleaf told the congregation that unity is the best way for anyone or group to move forward in any undertaking. She expressed the belief that when citizens are united the national resources will be equally.
The President also admonished the Christian community and other religious organizations throughout the country to pray for the growth and development of the country. |
