transitional justice working group initiative the road to peace in liberia: citizens views on...

Transitional Justice Working Group Initiative

The Road to Peace in Liberia:

Citizens Views on

Transitional Justice

August-September, 2004

SUBAH-BELLEH ASSOCIATES

GREENBERG QUINLAN ROSNER RESEARCH INC

LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 2

“I appeal to the government that let this new Liberia be a new Liberia and what has happened should be in the past. Everybody should be given rights and let us build a new Liberia.”

- Female, Nimba County

A New Liberia


4551

0

20

40

60

Right direction Wrong direction

Country Direction


Bryant Job Approval

33

69

17

25

0

20

40

60

80

Approve Disapprove

Strongly Somewhat


Thermometer Ratings: Government

56 55

19 18 17

0

20

40

60

Gyude Bryant NationalTransitionalGovernment

LURD GOL MODEL

Mean Score on a Scale from 0-100


Faction Leaders in Transitional Government

22

49

39

46

0

20

40

60

Approve Disapprove

Strongly Somewhat


Effectiveness of DDRR

42

79

7

17

0

20

40

60

80

Effective Ineffective

Strongly Somewhat


Duration of Peace

8993

97

933

0

20

40

60

80

100

National Excombatants IDPs

Long-lasting peace Return to conflict soon


26 62

34 77

55 83

48 84

55 90

59 92

0 20 40 60 80 100

Decrease in number ofguns on the street

Peace in Liberia

Freedom to expressyourself

Freedom to move aboutthe country

Decrease in violence

Respect betweendifferent tribes

Much Some

Progress Made


5 19

7 25

0 10 20 30

Improvement ofthe economy

Increase in jobs

Much Some

Economic Progress


Concerns

2

3

4

4

6

7

10

11

23

31

35

61

0 20 40 60 80

Education

Health care

Unemployment

Poverty

Corruption

Human rights

HIV AIDS

Ex-combatants

Ritual killings

Tribalism

Drugs

Crime

54


DDRR Process

28

20

24

54

100

20

40

60

Too slowly Right pace Too quickly

Strongly Somewhat


27

1626

13

34

64

0

20

40

60

80

Toward Non-combatants Toward Excombatants

Too much Right amount Too little

Liberian Government Efforts


51

41

33

25

10

30

0

20

40

60

Toward Non-combatants Toward Excombatants

Too much Right amount Too little

UNMIL Efforts


4348

0

10

20

30

40

50

Working well Not working well

Justice System


14 38

16 47

0 10 20 30 40 50

Return of anational justice

system

Improvement ofnational justice

Much Some

Progress in Justice Issues


Thermometer Ratings: TRC

56 55

0

20

40

60

Truth and ReconciliationCommission

National TransitionalGovernment



4

711

2135

41

60

72

76

85

0 20 40 60 80 100

Forced to leave your home and live elsewhere

Lost contact with a close relative

A member of your family killed

Felt humilitaed

Forced to help a militia in other ways than fighting

Tortured

Kidnapped or taken hostage

Wounded by fighting

Forced to become a combatant

Raped by combatant

War Experiences


Dealing With the Past

62

78

17

22

0

20

40

60

80

100

It is more important to putthe past behind us.

It is more important tohold people accountable

for abuses during the war

Strongly Somewhat


Prosecution of War Figures

52

59

35

44

15

22

0

20

40

60

80

Faction leaders Excombatants Soldiers under age18

Prosecute, strongly Prosecute, somewhat


25 38

22 41

41 55

35 59

0 20 40 60

Approve strongly Approve somewhat

Addressing the War and Abuses

For those willing to admit their crimes, there would be no formal legal proceedings or prosecution. For those unwilling to admit to crimes, there would be formal legal proceedings and prosecution

Only target leaders and commanders of warring factions identified as committing or ordering abuses, and subject them to formal legal action and prosecution.

Confront and document the abuses through a written record, but without identifying individuals responsible for the abuses and without holding formal legal proceedings and prosecutions

Prosecute excombatants and leaders of warring factions who committed abuses, but avoid widespread public discussion about the abuses


26 40

46

73

48

6745

59

44

61

57 74

61 74

70 78

0 20 40 60 80

Very important Somewhat important

Actions for Peace and Reconciliation

Create a written record of all the abuses that happened during the war Create a special court to prosecute faction leaders and punish those found guilty of committing human rights violations

Create a truth crime tribunal where people can tell their stories about what they did during the war without fear of prosecution Give amnesty to all combatants who turn in their weapons

Give amnesty to all combatants who turn in their weapons, including faction leaders

Create a special court to prosecute combatants and punish those found guilty of committing human rights violations

Jail faction leaders for crimes committed during the war

Jail combatants for crimes committed during the war


“If there is no record, no advice will be given and I will continue to do it [crimes]. So at least if we can forgive we shouldn’t forget our records, so when it has been written and documented, you know what is wrong and can’t do it in the future. ”

- Female, Bong County

Written Record Quote


Eligible for Amnesty

36

73

28

61

21

44

18

43

0

20

40

60

80

Approve strongly Approve somewhat

Excombatants who have turned in their weapons

All Excombatants Faction leaders and commanders, even those that ordered combatants to kill, rape and torture civilians during the war

Faction leaders and commanders


24 59

25 58

27 63

30 59

31 60

31 61

33 67

41 78

48 83

54 86

0 20 40 60 80 100

Excombatants acknowledge crimes, ask for forgiveness

A civilian assisted a militia with food or shelter

A combatant looted civilian houses

A combatant forced a civilian to fight

A combatant murdered a civilian

A combatant raped numerous civilians

A civilian provided a militia with guns and ammunition

A combatant forced numerous civilians to fight

A combatant murdered numerous civilians

A combatant raped a civilian

Grant, strongly Grant, somewhat

Granting Amnesty


TRC Hearings

62

72

15

18

0

20

40

60

80

Public Private

Strongly Somewhat


Current or New Courts to Judge War Abuses

47

66

19

23

0

20

40

60

80

New court Current court

Strongly Somewhat


Composition of Special Court

12

22 51

63

5

8

0

20

40

60

80

Liberians Both Foreigners

Strongly Somewhat

Liberians or Foreigners?


“It is going to be Liberians who face the courts. If the judges are Liberians, they will want to back each other, but if a foreigner comes in the truth will be unveiled.”

- Female, Bong County

Foreigners in New Court Quote


Thermometer Ratings: International

88 88 86 84 78

0

20

40

60

80

100

UNMIL United Nations ECOWAS United States Nigeria



Need for the International Community

79

82

11

18

0

20

40

60

80

100

Liberia needs help from theinternational community to

make progress.

Liberia can progress on itsown without the help of the

international community

Strongly Somewhat


6

7

17

28

34

0 10 20 30 40

Provided housing

Financialcompensation

Free education

Provided jobs

Free medicalservices

Victims Compensation


34

63

10

24

66

0

20

40

60

80

Original Origins

From county

Moved voluntarily

Forced to move

Yes No

Plan to Return


Home County – Those that Moved

2

2

2

3

3

3

5

6

6

7

7

8

8

17

20

0 10 20 30

Bong

Lofa

Maryland

Sinoe

Grand Cape Mount

Grand Kru

Bomi

Nimba

Grand Bassa

Grand Gedeh

Margibi

River Gee

Gbarpolu

Montserrado

Rivercess


Home County - IDPs

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

8

10

14

15

42

0 10 20 30 40 50

Lofa

Gbarpolu

Bomi

Grand Cape Mt.

Bong

Maryland

Grand Kru

Grand Bassa

Rivercess

Sinoe

Nimba

Montserrado


82

6862

2817

29

158

0

20

40

60

80

100

National IDPs Excombatants

Reintegrate Depends Never Reintegrate

Excombatant Reintegration


“They should be accepted because we are talking about forgiveness, healing, we are talking about being patriots and so we should accept them in the community .”

- Male Community Leader, Monrovia

Reintegration Quote


“If I am not welcome, I will come back and ask you to carry me so as to talk to my people to forgive me because as we are talking about peace, everybody needs to forgive each other.”

- Bomi excombatant

Reintegration Quote


10

75

0

20

40

60

80

Yes No

Charles Taylor Committed War Crimes


2

7

7

13

22

29

0 10 20 30

Jail for life

Amnesty/forgiven

Jail less than life

Death

Exiled fromLiberia

No role ingovernment

Taylor Punishment


October 2005 Elections

81

91

7

0

20

40

60

80

100

Favor Oppose

Strongly Somewhat


•Liberians are optimistic about the future of Liberia and have seen progress made in many areas, but more needs to be done, especially in terms of economic conditions, education and the justice system. •Liberians also feel that the government is doing too little, particularly in respect to non-combatants. •While Liberians want to put the past behind them, this does not mean they want to forget about the past. •Liberians are strongly in favor of having a written record. But a written record alone will not suffice.

Key Findings


•Holding truth crime tribunals where excombatants can publicly admit their wrongs without fear of retribution is the most approved manner to address the war. This was also strongly approved by excombatants, so would be the best mechanism to bring excombatants into the justice system. •While most Liberians do not want to prosecute excombatants, there is a strong desire to prosecute faction leaders and commanders and hold them accountable. •Liberians do not think the current court system can handle the prosecutions of war crimes and desire a special court comprised of both Liberians and foreigners.

Key Findings


•Liberians think they can not go it alone and need assistance from the international community. •There is also a strong desire to reintegrate excombatants back into their communities.

Key Findings

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