By Todd Howland, Director of the Center for Human Rights and
Abdelilah Kadili, Senior Program Officer at the CHR

The United States Government should heed the calls of the international community expressed by the Secretary General of the United Nations Wednesday, July 2nd, 2003. The US government should not only contribute to the ongoing process that began with the June 4th, 2003 Accra talks, it should be at the forefront, actively and consistently contributing, and guaranteeing the outcome. The US government should lead a multinational peace keeping force to Liberia under the auspices of the United Nations, to save the country from a potential new bloodbath.

Bringing the belligerent parties in Liberia to the negotiating table, where they were able to agree to a cease fire, signed on June 17, 2003, was certainly an important achievement that brought hope back to the hundreds of thousands of Liberians whose lives have been destroyed by the civil war which has plagued the country for years. Members of the Contact Group and representatives of the different countries that helped with the process are certainly to be commended for their efforts which led to this important breakthrough.

It should, however, be stressed that the cease fire is but the first step of a laborious and lengthy process aimed at establishing democracy and the rule of law in Liberia. Members of the Contact Group and representatives of the governments involved in the negotiations are therefore to be strongly reminded that the process could well fail if other important steps are not taken to begin laying down the infrastructure that the country needs to move toward democracy and the respect of the rule of law.

The situation on the ground is by all counts still very precarious as was demonstrated by the eruption of hostilities only a few days after the signing of the cease fire agreement. The cease fire could be broken again at any time and send the country spiraling back into violence. The strengthening of the process hinges on the measures the United Nations and those members of the

Security Council involved in the peace negotiations are willing to take, and the efforts they are willing to dedicate in order to keep the country from sinking into a worse situation. The success or failure of the process depends largely on the targeted strategic objectives, on the amount of planning the involved parties are willing to undertake and a clear definition of the tasks ahead as well as the requirements for their implementation. Finally, the success of the process depends on the full participation of Liberian NGOs, particularly those which have been at the forefront of the struggle, such as the Justice and Peace Commission, the Inter Religious Council of Liberia and the Archdiocese of Monrovia.

Strategic Objectives:

1. Consolidate the cease fire and stabilize the security situation on the ground,

2. Ensure the demobilization of the militia and their proper reintegration into the civil society,

3. Create a secure environment over the entire country,

4. Contribute to consolidating national unity and assist in establishing a viable transitional government,

5. Re establish the necessary state structures for effective governance and ensure that they function in a proper and durable way,

6. Assist in the preparation of free, fair, transparent and democratic elections.

These strategic objectives have been called for repeatedly by Liberian civil society, through different leading organizations in the country and from around the world. They were stressed by Archbishop Michael Kpakala Francis during meetings with representatives of the US government earlier this year ; they are in fact recognized by Liberian organizations as the only way to ensure that the country is definitely out of the civil war and headed toward peace and democracy. Their achievement requires a very laborious planning process; one that, far from any rush to quick fixes or semi-solutions, takes into account the realities on the ground and the complexity of the situation; and factors in the importance of the help Liberian society needs to heal its wounds, and make peace with decades of civil war and social unrest.

The United Nations, individual members of the Security Council along with the other parties involved should neither consider that the cease fire is a finality of and by itself and therefore abandon the process any time soon, nor should they rush to try to achieve any other objective or short of those already defined by Liberian civil society itself. They should on one hand invest as much time as the planning phase needs, and on the other provide the process with the necessary means, tools and most importantly, financial resources to guarantee it real success.

Tasks ahead and Requirements:

The recent declarations by representatives of the Liberian government and those of Charles Taylor himself retreating from the commitment he made in Accra on June 4th, 2003 to step down and to refrain from seeking a second term, confirm that the risk of a new conflagration is very real. The eruption of hostilities a few days after the cease fire was signed, resulting in the killing of hundreds of innocent people, is yet another confirmation that immediate action should be taken. The United Nations, members of the Security Council and the parties involved should therefore ensure that the following requirement are met and that the ensuing tasks are fully implemented as they constitute sine qua none conditions to free, fair, democratic and transparent elections.

1. The militia is disarmed, demobilized and its members integrated into the Liberian society,

2. A new army is created, and its members are trained to protect the Liberian people and to respect their fundamental rights,

3. A stabilization force is put in place so as to guarantee not only the security of the Liberian Nation, but also the security of the voters and those seeking elective office,

4. A national census is conducted,

5. The Election Commission is restructured, its membership replaced, and the new members appropriately trained,

6. An enabling environment conducive to free, fair and democratic elections is created,

7. The voters are registered in such a way to ensure everybodyís participation to the elections,

8. Priority is given to votersí education.

Requirements for Implementation:
The implementation of these tasks requires the following:

1. A UN Security Council mandate that authorize the dispatch of a robust military presence that would:

a. Stabilize the country and deter any spoilers of the peace and create a secure environment. The military force should be allowed the necessary flexibility for the use of force to:

1. Arrest war criminals,
2. Disarm and demobilize all combatants,
3. Provide security for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the return of refugees,
4. Provide immediate law and order,
5. Restructure the security forces.

b. A Political presence, ideally a UN SRSG with limited executive authority and a sufficient number of UN staff for head quarterís staff and planning work, as well as political and media monitoring activities to assist in establishing a viable government. This presence should be tasked with overseeing that:

1. The transitional government and the parties to the conflict are all acting in accordance with the terms of the peace agreement,
2. The transitional government is creating minimum conditions to hold credible elections,
3. The transitional government and the international community are working in full coordination to ensure the integration of ex-combatants into the legitimate institutional, political and security framework of the country and providing training and opportunities for their integration into the socio-economic frame work of the country,
4. Assist and help the newly elected government and legislature in consolidating peace,
5. The national media and civil society are provided with the necessary means, tools and financial resources that would allow them to play an effective role in the consolidation of the peace process and the establishment of democracy and the rule of law.

2. A civilian governance capacity that is comprised of technical/ professional skills to address the fundamental need to set up the critical structures of state and civil society particularly civil administration, police and judiciary and ensure that minimum state structures for effective governance are re-established:

1. Civil Administration: Particular effort could be made to obtain civil administrators from ECOWAS countries to act primarily in an advisory capacity but may need to act in an executive capacity.
2. Police: to monitor, advise, and restructure the national police. Police from primarily common law countries should be recruited. One leading bi-lateral partner should be identified to provide long-term development and training support.
3. Legal practitioners: judges, lawyers, prosecutors of common law background to monitor and advise the re-establishment of the national judiciary. One lead agency/bi lateral partner should be identified early on to provide long-term development and restructuring of the judiciary. Transitional justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity should be placed under the authority of the International Criminal Court.
4. Electoral experts: to ensure the training and oversight of National Elections Officers to conduct elections.

The United States, considered by the international community as having a historic and a strong moral obligation toward Liberia, should not only contribute to the ongoing process, but also be at its forefront and guarantee its outcomes. For that purpose, and in order for Liberia to enjoy a long lasting peace and to join the democratic nations through free, fair, democratic and transparent elections, it is imperative that the US government adopt the strategic objectives called for by the Liberian Civil society, provide the means, tools and necessary short-, mid-, and long-term financial support to make sure that the requirements are met and the tasks leading to the achievement of those objectives are implemented. The US government should also stress that elections cannot and are not an end of and by themselves, and that free, fair, transparent and democratic elections could not be held before the strategic objectives are fully achieved.

The Center for Human Rights and the Liberia Support Group call on the US government to declare unequivocally its commitment to peace and security as sine qua none conditions conducive to free, fair and democratic elections in Liberia. The Center for Human Rights and the Liberia Support Group invite the US government to openly state its support to sending a stabilizing force to Liberia, to participate in the multinational force and to provide it with the necessary financial and logistical support.

Archbishop Francis, the Center for Human Rights 1999 laureate, is the chairman of the Justice and Peace Commission, and the Chairman of the Inter Religious Council of Liberia.

The Advocacy Team for Archbishop Francis comprises the Dean of UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, law professors, Lawyers, Judges, economists, human rights activists and a leader of local human rights NGO.