Friday, July 13, 2012

Jerue Complains Liberian Govt to UN Human Rights Commission


Gibson W. Jerue
Journalist & Author
North Dakota Chapter
4701 17th Ave SW, Apt 306
Fargo, ND 58103
July 12, 2012

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland

Attn: Navanethem Pillay


Dear Madam Commissioner:

My name is Gibson W. Jerue, a Liberian journalist of 24-year experience, an author and President of the North Dakota Chapter of the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas (GGAA). I do not speak for the national association of the GGAA neither do I speak for the national administration. I presently reside in Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America. Foremost is I am a citizen of Grand Gedeh County.

I write to request the United Nations Human Rights Commission to institute an independent investigation into the incident leading to and resulting from the June 8, 2012 alleged shooting and killing of seven UN troops and two Ivorian security officers along the Liberia-Ivory Coast border. Not only that Grand Gedeans condemn the act of killing UN personnel and citizens of another country, but the people of Grand Gedeh have also sought to live in peace with their neighbors, since the end of the 14-year madness that broke down the social, political, moral and economic fabric of our country and reduced our people to nothing.

Following the incident on June 8th, the Government of the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire reportedly submitted a list of several people, including eight individuals, all of whom are sons of Grand Gedeh County. Without properly investigating the list or its veracity, the Government of Liberia declared the eight (8) Grand Gedeans “most wanted”, only to realize that some of those already declared criminals by the government of Liberia have had nothing to do with the incident and they are living right there in Monrovia. My understanding is that some the alleged criminals or “most wanted” people have been issued clearances and are freely moving about their normal business. However, some have claimed that their families have been harassed. Mr. Amos Chayee, a Grand Gedean residing in Buduburam Refugee Camp in Central Accra, Ghana, has claimed that he had put his wife on the plane and repatriated to Liberia, but that she was harassed by Liberia Government Security upon her arrival in Monrovia. The alleged submission of a list of wanted people by the Government of Alhassan Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, the publication of the names of wanted people in Monrovia, and the alleged harassment of the families of the accused by Liberian security forces are very important issues and concerns for investigation.

As If this was not enough, scores of security forces were dispatched to Grand Gedeh by the Sirleaf Administration and had made the hell of the lives our people in Grand Gedeh County. Stories that members of the Joint Security Operations of Liberia, including units of the newly constituted Armed Forces of Liberia, special operation police units, immigration agents and border officers have been harassing the people of Grand Gedeh abound. Our relatives and friends have persistently called [or whom we have called] and told us how security officers are drinking and getting drunk in entertainment bars, taking away personal effects of peaceful and innocent citizens, snatching away ordinary hunters single barrel shot guns and taking away even the deer, etc they killed for their wives to cook delicious meal for their families. Other allegations included but not limited to intimidating and harassing drivers and demanding free transportation from one area to another. Most unfortunately, peaceful citizens in villages and area adjoining and including the diamond mines in Grand Gedeh County have been affected. Our brothers and sisters are said to have fled those areas for fear of their lives. These claims are grave and have ignited another round of suffering of the people, driving them from the only thing that puts food the table for their families.

In a nutshell, the Liberian security victimized innocent and peaceful civilians, arbitrarily arrested and detained, mercilessly beat and/or flogged young and older men, harassed and intimidated the residents of Zwedru, the Capital City of Grand Gedeh, and other towns and villages in and around the border line that separates Liberia and Ivory Coast. Liberian security forces are usually uncouth, untrained, zealous, arbitrary, draconian in their action, and disrespectful of the rule of law. The US State Department country report on Liberia 2011 has been critical of Liberian security forces.

To add insult to injury, military units of the Ivorian Government have been firing rocket propel grenades and other automatic weapons, including GMPG, Caliber 50 automatic machine guns, and other light weapons into Liberia, directly into Grand Gedeh County which is directly proportional to endangering the lives of the residents of the County. Most surprisingly, instead of the Ivorian Government denying the act it was the Liberian government saying it was untrue that Ivorian military fired rockets into Liberian territory. Now that the Ivorians have admitted and the media has provided clips and reports of the territorial violations of the Liberia’s sovereignty, it does not matter to the Liberian government to seek explanation from the Ouattara regime. The Sirleaf administration is deliberately ignoring the blatant action by the Ivorian security because the shots are being fired into Grand Gedeh, and President Sirleaf has developed overtime the tactics of witch-hunting Grand Gedeans. Therefore, whether those rockets and shots injure or kill any Grand Gedean, it does not matter to the Sirleaf Administration. See my ten (10) reasons why Madam Sirleaf is witch-hunting Grand Gedeans. See copy attached.

I must hasten to point out that Madam Sirleaf does not seem to see herself President of the people of Grand Gedeh; as a result an iota of collective guilt is permeating and may soon engulf the people Grand Gedeh. And instead of identifying, arresting and prosecuting the main wrongdoers, all Grand Gedeans seem to be guilty of the alleged shooting and killing of UN and Ivorian security personnel. This is unacceptable to say the least.

Madam, I have also written recently, specifically on June 20, 2012, to the U.S. Government by and thru the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton requesting for similar investigation to be conducted by the U.S. Government. Although my letter had not been responded to, I believe the office of the Secretary of State is scrupulously considering my concerns. See copy of my letter to the U.S. Secretary here attached.

In view of the foregoing, and other circumstances that may break down law and order in our country, and in order to stamp impunity I am appealing to your offices to constitute an independent commission to immediately launch an investigation into the situation. If you don’t act, not only will the people of Grand Gedeh face yet another enormous devastation, having already been traumatized by the 14-year civil wars, but it also could embolden miscreants using the County as their launching pad thereby endangering Grand Gedeans and placing them in harm’s way. In the same vein, the Liberian government must answer to its excesses committed in Grand Gedeh so as to secure this fragile peace and fledgling democracy currently prevailing in our country.

Awaiting your response and action on the concerns mentioned supra, I remain.

Yours Truly,


Gibson W. Jerue
Phone: 612-607-9281
            zokowleah@yahoo.com
            monzoko67@yahoo.com

>>>>>>>>
The response:

Dear Sir,

Your letter addressed to the High Commissioner is acknowledged with thanks.

Best regards,

OHCHR Civil Society Section

Visit the Civil Society homepage, consult our Handbook and sign up for our mailing list :
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/CivilSociety.aspx



From:        "Gibson W. Jerue" <mongboe2002@yahoo.com>
To:        "InfoDesk@ohchr.org" <InfoDesk@ohchr.org>, "Press-Info@ohchr.org" <Press-Info@ohchr.org>, "nationalinstitutions@ohchr.org" <nationalinstitutions@ohchr.org>, "civilsociety@ohchr.org" <civilsociety@ohchr.org>,
Date:        12/07/2012 20:04
Subject:        Letter to UN High Commissioner to Investigate security situation in Grand Gedeh, Liberia




Attention: Navanethem Pillay, High Commissioner , UN Human Rights Commission:

Madam, I have written and posted a letter from the United States of America to your offices requesting you honorable offices to constitute an independent commission to institute a an investigation in the current security situation in Grand Gedeh County, Republic of Liberia, and along the Ivory Coast-Liberia border arising from the June 8, 2012 shooting and killing of seven UN personnel and two Ivorian security officer. Please see self-explanatory letter, and attachments. Thanks for you attention.

NOTE: I AM USING THESE EMAIL ADDRESSES BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET THE OFFICIAL EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. I WILL APPRECIATE WERE YOU TO PLEASE TRANSMIT THESE DOCUMENT TO THE OFFICE OF THE MADAM PILLAY.
 
Regards,

Gibson W. Jerue
Journalist and Author

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