The Paris court in France has finally convicted Kunti Kamara guilty of involvement in crimes against humanity and acts of barbarism and sentenced him to life in prison. Even if it's difficult to see why it took nearly thirty years to secure a conviction, it's even more difficult to comprehend why Liberia couldn't be bothered to assist its own people. While it is encouraging that the Foya community can now begin the process of healing, our country would only be perpetuating a history of negligence if it didn't take a close look at its relationship with impunity, especially in light of the fact that not a single war criminal from the civil wars has been brought to justice by our own government.

In order to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations, our leaders must consider the relief and vindication Kunti survivors are feeling.

One of the most brutal civil wars in post-independence Africa was the First Liberian Civil War. The Second Liberian Civil War resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 persons and the internal displacement of thousands more. The war took more than 230,000 Liberian lives in a nation of 2.1 million people and displaced a million additional citizens in refugee camps in neighboring nations. Both Taylor and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), an anti-Taylor rebel group sponsored by the government of Guinea, used child soldiers extensively during the conflict.

Nevertheless, members of these governments (like Benoni Urey) are allowed to participate in our democratic process and to roam the streets as free men.

How is that possible?

Simply put, the TRC recommendations were never put into effect by the United States because they were deemed to be unlawful, despite the fact that every other democratic country has commended them, most recently by US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack.
"One of the reasons for my visit here is to better understand what is happening with the implementation [of] the TRC recommendation," Van Schaack stated during her stay. "As you also know, there has [been] no accountability here, on the criminal side or the civil side, for those who were responsible for those crimes and abuses.

In fact, the TRC established an Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal for Liberia to ensure accountability. A list of people who should be prohibited from entering public office for thirty years was one of its numerous suggestions. These people included former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the formerly sanctioned Benoni Urey, both of whom had an intriguing connection to Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party.
However, it begins to make sense when those on the list who have been advocated for prosecution occupy political roles. Why would they cede control and take responsibility for their actions? The answer is no. Instead, they intimidate and blackmail each succeeding government into dissolving the TRC by using bribery and trickery.

However, the Liberian government's failure to safeguard its residents sends a clear message to communities all around the country: skirt the law's boundaries or break it.
This disregard for the rule of law has given Urey and Boakai's strange romance room to grow. After all, Boakai might still enjoy high regard in Liberia and within his own party if Urey had been barred from political activity, and the CPP framework might still exist.

Instead, it's generally accepted that Urey is manipulating Boakai because of his ongoing health problems. However, it would be wrong to presume that Boakai's poor moral character is the result of his poor health; this was not the case while he was a member of the Sirleaf Administration.

No, Boakai picks his allies carefully and uses them to get rid of anyone who might disagree with him or try to undermine his authority. How else can we account for his silence during the mess surrounding the CPP framework and the ouster of Amin Modad and Mo Ali?
Liberians are fed up with weak, cowardly politicians, and we are sick of impunity.
We must allow history to repeat itself as the 2023 presidential election approaches. We must put an end to these sneaky forces that aim to undermine the peace we have fought so hard to establish and maintain. The leaders of Liberia must unequivocally denounce and prosecute war criminals for the crimes committed during the country's civil wars.