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Monrovia – Barely a day after it was reported that President George Weah and his major for Liberia’s most populous city Monrovia, risk prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for election violence, the Liberian leader has sternly warned government officials including the Monrovia Mayor Jeff Koijee, to desist from making statements that are anti-peace and violence prone.
A subsidiary of the acclaimed research, communications and investment management firm, Kennedy & Williams, Globe Afrique, reported Monday that both President Weah and Mayor Koijee risk being prosecuted by the ICC on the charge of election violence.
According to the US-based online media platform and magazine, Globe Afrique.com, Liberia is slowly inching towards state-sponsored terrorism and violence against its citizens, indicating that recent activities and statements coming from leaders of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), particularly, Mayor Koijee, when he stated, “Make no mistake to think that because we bear certain titles or bear certain space in government, that position has taken from us our true identity,” are deemed state-sponsored atrocities and terrorism.
Koijee, who is also chairman of the ruling party’s Youth League, is on record to have made several strong post-elections remarks in the wake of results being announced in the country just-ended Montserrado County Senate and District #15 House of Representatives by-elections, averring at some point that “…any day that would be announced by anyone (referring to protesters), we want to say to you that similar day would be announced by us. And wheresoever they are, we would also be there, and we would meet in flesh and blood.”
Globe Afrique reports that it’s quite apparent that Koijee, who the online publication describes as being a young and inexperienced mayor fails to realize that his statements are treated as state-sponsored or supported atrocities.
Quoting the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, as stating that the Court will not hesitate to act under the criteria defined by the Rome Statute, regarding passions flaring up during elections, and when people do not act with restraint and this leads to large-scale crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction, Globe Afrique reports that failure on the part of President Weah to forcefully and publicly reject and sanction Koijee may be deemed as silent support of the Monrovia mayor.
Howbeit, while he did not definitively state the name of Mayor Koijee, deputy presidential press secretary Smith Toby Tuesday, told reporters assigned at the Executive Mansion that President Weah warns that any official of his administration who also plays the role of a spokesperson for the ruling CDC, and makes comments that will undermine the peace of the country will be suspended or dismissed.
Toby stated that President Weah condemns the recent electoral violence between some supporters of the ruling party on one hand and some supporters of several collaborating opposition political parties including Liberty Party, Unity Party, All Liberian Party and the Alternative National Congress, on the other, adding that the President sees the violent clash between the two groups as being lawless and thinks in a civilize society there is no reason why people should resort to violence.
“The issue of violence in our country will not be tolerated. The issue of counter protest under this administration of President George Manneh Weah will not be tolerated. The issue of people in government wanting to be spokespersons or individuals speaking on behalf of the Coalition, will not be tolerated,” Toby quotes President Weah as sending out what he (Toby) describes as a strong caveat.
The President’s warning, according to a highly placed ruling party official, who asked to remain anonymous, is directed at Mayor Koijee, who less than a week ago addressed a press conference threatening to personally lead counter protest against anyone or group that stages a protest against the Weah-led government.
Liberia is a party to the Rome Statute. And, Article 15 of the Rome Statute allows ICC Prosecutors to investigate allegations of crimes based on information from victims, nongovernmental organizations or any other reliable source. Moreover, the ex-officio provisions of the Statute give victims and survivors a role in the ICC process by enabling them to trigger investigations.
Over the years, the ICC has conducted investigations and prosecutions of crime against humanity, war crimes and aggression in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur, Sudan; the Central African Republic, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burundi, and Sierra Leone.
“Political leaders are equally obliged to ensure that the electoral process and elections proceed calmly and that they, their supporters and sympathizers, refrain from any violence before, during and after elections,” Globe Afrique further quotes Madam Bensouda as saying.
“Anyone who incites or participates in mass violence, by ordering, soliciting, encouraging or otherwise contributing to crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC is liable to prosecution before the Court.” And no one should doubt the determination to investigate such crimes,” Madam Bensouda further said, according to Globe Afrique.
