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Liberia: Time for Much-Delayed Reconciliation and Reform

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Liberia: Time for Much-Delayed Reconciliation and Reform Policy Briefing Africa Briefing N°88 Dakar/Brussels, 12 June 2012 Liberia: Time for Much-Delayed Reconciliation and Reform Before the country votes again (in 2017), the electoral law I. OVERVIEW must be revised so as to give the National Elections Com- mission (NEC) more power to regulate party financing Despite marked improvements, numerous grievances that and set stronger criteria for political party registration. The plunged Liberia into bloody wars from 1989 until Presi- NEC’s failure to penalise the use of state resources by the dent Charles Taylor left in August 2003 (originally for ruling Unity Party (UP) in the recent campaign reinforced exile in Nigeria) remain evident: a polarised society and opposition perceptions of bias. political system; corruption, nepotism and impunity; a di- shevelled security sector; youth unemployment; and gaps The inability of the Liberian National Police (LNP) – built and inconsistencies in the electoral law. The November from scratch in 2004 – to control violent protests at CDC 2011 election was the country’s second successful post- headquarters on 7 November did nothing to dispel increas- war voting exercise but exposed its deep fault lines. The ingly negative feelings about their performance. They were re-elected president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, needs to use her heavily criticised by the Special Independent Commission relatively weak mandate to focus on reconciling a divided of Inquiry set up by the president that month to look into nation. the violence. The brutal response to what began as a peaceful protest calls into question the quality of the secu- Inflammatory comments by politicians and sporadic vio- rity sector reform. These concerns led the UN Secretary- lence in the months leading up to that election showed that General to recommend that while the military component democracy remains fragile; after the vote, the main oppo- of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) should be drawn sition party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), down gradually between 2012 and 2015, the police com- threatened the peace, insisting it had been cheated. Histori- ponent should be kept at strength and even reinforced in cal enmities also persist, such as those between the resi- the same period. Stronger state security presence on both dents of Nimba (north central) and of Grand Gedeh (east), sides of Liberia’s border with Côte d’Ivoire is imperative home of former President Samuel Doe, over the reprisals after a cross-border attack on 8 June in which seven UN Doe took against the former after his 1980 coup. Young peacekeepers died. people, some of whom fought in the successive conflicts, evidence growing resentment at the enrichment of former The president’s 150-day action plan, announced on 28 Feb- leaders in those conflicts and their own lack of economic ruary 2012, prioritises youth unemployment and recon- opportunities. ciliation, both critical to sustainable recovery. But Crisis Group’s wide-ranging 2011 recommendations aimed at Taylor’s conviction on 26 April 2012 and sentencing on peacebuilding and conflict-prevention challenges remain 30 May for war crimes and crimes against humanity in relevant. The government and NEC, as well as civil society Sierra Leone’s civil war raise questions about the fate of and international partners, should focus on short- and others like him in Liberia who have not been prosecuted, medium-term priorities to address deep divisions in the nationally or internationally. Some Liberians told Crisis country. In particular: Group they feel uneasy, even unsafe, knowing that those responsible for extreme violence during the civil war re- To bring about an effective process of national main free. There is little prospect for implementation of reconciliation, including appropriate accountability the recommendations the Truth and Reconciliation Com- measures mission (TRC) made in its 2009 report, including to hold the government should clarify the relationship between perpetrators to account. The government needs to clarify the TRC report, especially its recommendations, and the relationship between the TRC and Johnson Sirleaf’s the national peace and reconciliation initiative, so as to national peace and reconciliation initiative, led by the ensure full national participation and dialogue on the women’s rights activist, Leymah Gbowee, who shared the way forward; 2011 Nobel Peace Prize with the president. Liberia: Time for Much-Delayed Reconciliation and Reform Crisis Group Africa Briefing N°88, 12 June 2012 Page 2 it should also publish the second report of the Special To make progress toward an accountable, Independent Commission of Inquiry and adopt its rec- professional law enforcement service ommendation to pass a law enabling prosecution of pri- the government should urgently seek funding for fur- vate and public persons and organisations that commit ther police training and material support for essential or incite hate crimes; equipment, including from friendly governments and civil society should encourage the national peace and through budgetary allocations. reconciliation initiative to urge the government to lead a national dialogue on the TRC report and its recommen- dations, as well as to act on the important recommen- II. THE 2011 ELECTIONS dations made by the Special Independent Commission of Inquiry; and Despite some flaws, observers judged the 2011 elections 1 civil society and donors should invest in building me- credible. The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representa- dia capacity and professionalism, including by work- tive (SRSG), Moustapha Soumaré, hailed them as an “his- ing with the Liberia Media Centre and the mass com- toric milestone”.2 Violence in the lead-up to the first round munications department of the University of Liberia to and on the eve of the run-off was brief and not widespread, establish a training centre and by encouraging exchanges due equally to the Liberians’ resolve to resist conflict and with countries that have more established media. the UNMIL presence. However, the vote exposed and per- haps deepened fault lines in society, leaving the re-elected To strengthen national development equitably president with a weak mandate and an urgent need to throughout the country tackle especially polarisation and unemployment. the government should fulfil the promise in the presi- dent’s inaugural speech and reflected in the 150-day A. THE FIRST ROUND action plan to create sustainable economic opportuni- ties for young people as a disincentive to violence and Unlike in 2005, the run-up to the 11 October general and thuggery; and presidential elections and the 8 November run-off was not smooth.3 There was widespread dissent in mid-2011 over focus development efforts in neglected areas such as Westpoint (in the capital, Monrovia) and volatile areas such as Grand Gedeh near the border with Côte d’Ivoire. 1 Local and international groups observed technical irregulari- ties but said they did not significantly affect results. See press To improve democratic processes and electoral statements by the Joint Mano River Women Peace Network oversight in accordance with best practice (MARWOPNET), Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC), Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), Coalition of Women and Youth the new legislature should debate and amend the elec- Observation Team, 10 November 2011; the Elections Coordinat- tions law, aiming at extending and strengthening the ing Committee (ECC), 11 November 2011; and the Economic NEC’s powers to regulate political parties, including, Community of West African States (ECOWAS) observation inter alia, possible incorporation of criteria for parties mission, 12 October and 9 November 2011. According to a such as internal democracy, financial transparency and statement on the first round, “detailed procedures for reconciling significant representation in all regions; and introducing and counting ballots, … were not always adhered to and stand- incentives to gradually strengthen parties’ legitimacy ards for assessing valid versus invalid votes were not consist- and capacity through the collection and distribution of ently applied in some polling stations. Nonetheless, observers monies from a special fund for party reform; saw no evidence of systematic irregularities, nor problems that would affect the overall credibility and integrity of the counting the NEC should work with civil society organisations process”, Carter Center, 13 October 2011. A statement on the to address the shortcomings reported by local and inter- run-off noted “serious questions about the integrity of the pro- national observers during the 2011 elections, especially cess” in Grand Gedeh but maintained they were not serious enough to affect the results, Carter Center, 21 November 2011. inadequate voter education and polling staff unfamili- The European Union (EU) did not send a mission. arity with counting and tallying procedures; and 2 Press briefing, Yasmina Bouziane, UNMIL spokesperson, Moustapha Soumaré, acting special representative of the Secre- the government should consider creating an independ- tary-General. ent body like Ghana’s National Commission for Civic 3 For background on the 2005 elections, see Crisis Group Africa Education, including civil society contributors. Briefing N°36, Liberia: Staying Focused, 13 January 2006, pp. 1-3. For background on the 2011 elections, see Crisis Group Af- rica Report N°177, Liberia: How Sustainable Is the Recovery?, 19 August 2011. UN Security Council Resolution 1509 (2003) mandated
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