By James Kokulo Fasuekoi
August 8, 2012
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| In this file photo is the burnt vehicle in which U.N. soldiers were killed in June 2012 following an attack in the southwest, in Ivory Coast near the border with Liberia. Credit: Issouf Sanogo / AFP - Getty Images |
When
one reads this type of story below where
unknown gunmen are reported to have killed close to a dozen Ivorian
soldiers in Abidjan two days in a row, and then hears that President
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is sending accused Liberians to that
country to be trialed there for alleged involvement in the June 8, 2012 murder of Niger's U.N. Peacekeepers, one wonders where Liberia is heading.
With the latest gun violence in Abidjan, how sure
are we that the killings of the Nigerien U.N. Peacekeepers were the work of freelance Liberian gunmen or former fighters? How? And why did the Ivorian
authorities blame other armed attacks on displaced camps that followed the murder
of the U.N. troops on bandits moving around their country and not Liberians.
What
are the facts and evidence did the Ivorians
provided to substantiate their claims? Now what can they say of these
latest incidents in their capital, Abidjan? Were those acts carried out
by Liberians? Why not?
In the absence of evidence, is there a way to
tell the difference between attacks by Liberian gunmen and those of Ivorian bandits or disgruntled military personnel?
If the answer is no, why then our government
succumbed to the Ivoirians in this case?
Why is it that our government is quick to take
responsibility of international crimes thereby incriminating its own citizens in questionable situations that require thorough
investigation?
Who is the Liberian Government trying to appease
or impress? Where are the so-called advisers, the Sawyers, the Tipotehs and the Fanbullehs and so on?
The
"Iron Lady" is no longer the "Iron Lady"
Liberians knew in the 80s, the same “Iron Lady,” who is also on record
for not uttering a word when she worked for and supported a regime that
segregated local native majority before a 1980 military
coup, which changed the course of history.
Today,
it seems the proverbial "Iron Lady" has
become the "Weakest Lady." Not only that, she is fast earning a spot in
world diplomacy as the "Begging Queen" thereby bringing endless shame to
Liberians everywhere. She is quick to get on her knees
and beg without knowing the facts of the matter. Could this behavior
have something to do with her frail age?
This
is purely poor diplomacy at its best! And my
fear is that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf may be leaving a very bad legacy for
Liberian women, something that may discourage Liberians from electing
another woman-president in the future if nothing is done
to correct her diplomatic blunders.
Take
for example, the rape case against four
Liberian refugee children few years ago in the state of Arizona that
made world headlines. Ellen Johnson immediately started begging the
Americans even before investigations were concluded in the
case. It didn't end there, she sent a high ranking official from the
Liberian Mission in Washington DC to Phoenix, AZ to make an apology.
Up
till now, many Liberians in Phoenix, AZ are
still baffled by how the alleged rape case against the Liberian children
was treated. Many Liberians in Arizona still think that certain things
about the rape case weren’t right. They complained that
first the alleged rape case was heavily overshadowed by media publicity,
which they believed may have played a role for ruling handed down in
that case. Secondly, it was one of those rare cases or
perhaps the first time where underage children, (all Liberian refugees)
were paraded on American national television including the CNN in total
disregard to age and other privacy rights.
As a student attending college
in Phoenix, AZ at
the time of the incident, several dailies contacted me for interview in
the alleged rape case especially to offer a cultural perspective but I
declined for personal reasons. From that experience, I
now know how public opinion as well as cultural and language barriers
can affect legal proceedings outside of our homeland. As a result,
today, some of us don't know for sure the truth in or what
exactly transpired that led to the arrest of the Liberian children. But
yet the begging queen, President Johnson Sirleaf admitted quilt by her
early apology on behalf of Liberia.
About
a year ago, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
again compromised the fate of several Liberian refugees killed by
Ghanaian police who stormed the Liberian refugee camp at Gomoa
Buduborrum and opened fire on Liberian refugees following an incident
involving the refugees. In providing justification for their action, the
Ghanaian police alleged Liberian refugees created the situation which
prompted their ruthless action leaving several refugees
dead.
Once
the accusation was leveled, again, our
leader, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf didn't care to know the details or the
rest of the story but anyhow went on to offer an apology instead having
those who murdered our citizens to do so. So when and
where does the interest of Liberia matter?
From
all indication, the incident involving the
killings of some of Niger’s peacekeepers in the Ivory Coast months ago
was just again one of those vague situations where the Liberian
Government had enough room to argue her case since in fact the
location of the attack is infested with various militia groups and
seemingly a no man’s land.
Unlike
Liberian Government that doesn’t care for
its citizens let alone maintain territorial control of her country, the
Ivoirians staged counterattacks against Liberian villages along the
Liberia-Ivory Coast border and their maneuvers were
videotaped and beamed via the worldwide web for all to view.
Long live the Ivory Coast for defending her
people whether right or wrong. Long live the people of Ivory Coast. They have truly proven to be an independent country.
So,
where Madam President are you coming from
with this apology culture? Why apologize when there neither solid proof
nor is surety that Liberians are guilty of the crimes being leveled
against citizens.
In
world politics, when last did you Madam
President see any of the great countries of the world publically or
privately apologize on behalf of their respective armies regarding
civilians casualties in air strikes attributed to their men even
in the face of glaring evidence?
Where is Liberian
diplomacy?
I
am yet to understand the logic or legal
ramifications on extradition treaties involving Liberia and other
countries because, if for example the United States for reasons best
known to them, couldn't send back Liberia's own citizen like Mr.
Charles Taylor to face trial at home, why then should our president be
so excited about sending a Liberian citizens to a French speaking
country to face a trial there when in fact the French
judiciary system may be different from those of English or our modeled
after those of America?
If
your act of sending “accused” Liberians to a
war torn country like the Ivory Coast, which is no doubt the main source
of our 14-year- civil war to face prosecution isn’t a pure act of
conspiracy to sell out your own people, what then should
Liberians call it?
Isn’t
it shameful and embarrassing that the
commander in chief has been reduced to a bagging queen while Guinean
troops take chunks of land from Liberia along the Yeala-Guinean border,
the same way the Guinean Government has seized the Makona
River in Foya, Lofa County and continues to encroach on Sierra Leonean
territories?
Madam
President, the trouble in the Ivory Coast,
though far from over, isn’t something that calls for a quick fix nor
will it disappear by your issuing of countless apologies. The Ivoirians
are the root cause of their own problems we see today and
everyone including you, Madam President, one of the sponsors of
Liberia’s war knows this fact. Therefore, Liberia and Liberians can’t be
held responsible for their unfortunate
predicament.
The
Ivoirians have a very complicated situation
at hand more than people think and with numerous loose rebel units in
search of loots coupled with the level of armed violence taking place
daily in that country, it certainly may take years before
any legitimate government there will be able to take full control of the
country. That may be possible through reconciliation and the extension
of whatever wealth and blessings the country may have
to other parts of the country. Until then, it is foolhardy for anyone to
be claiming sole responsibility of every incident taking place in the
Ivory Coast; after all, they brought trouble upon
themselves and not Liberians.
In
light of the foregoing analysis, it can be concluded that under human
rights law the Liberian government had violated the rights of the
accused Liberians. Under human rights law, Ivory Coast is not safe to
extradite anyone there including Ivorian citizens. Liberian government
violated human rights law under international law that
applies to extradition. Accordingly, Liberia is under legal obligation
to duly follow the relevance of human rights law to the process
involving extradition of its nationals to a state that may
torture or inhumanely treat the person(s) concerned. It is evident Ivory
Coast is in a political turmoil, and violent political rivalry
continues between government and forces loyal to deposed
Laurent Gbagbo. It can be recalled that U.S. government refused to
extradite Charles Taylor because the government in charge was a military
government. They feared he would not get a fair trial and
he would be tortured. In addition, offenses of political character are
excluded in extradition. The only exception is terrorist activities, and
states have the right to refuse to extradite their
nationals insofar they have the wide power and or jurisdiction to
prosecute nationals for offenses committed abroad Liberia has that wide
power and jurisdiction. Therefore, the government of Liberia
should rethink its decision as it contradicts international law. The
Liberian government must stop the extradition or retract it if the
extradition process is completed.
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