"Charles Taylor used to call me ‘the girl with the red lips." My co-worker said this with a flattered smile on her face, but she has no illusions: he’s a brutal war criminal. He killed arbitrarily, depending on his mood, depending on the way a potential victim walked down the street. He took lives simply to take them, innocent lives, young lives, unborn lives, old lives, he made people die in undignified ways, just because he wanted to. And everyone knows this. Nonetheless, when Taylor comes up in conversation – and he often does – you certainly here about his war crimes and brutality, but you also hear about his charisma, his great smile, his ability to say just the right things to make people crumble a little: Ah, it’s the girl with the red lips. True assholes always seem to have that ability.
The TRC just released its report last week. I mentioned this in a previous post, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) was formed to hear testimony about people’s actions during the war, and help the country move towards peace and reconciliation. The TRC had the mandate to make recommendations for the next step in the reconciliation process - thus the document last week. A document that recommends a list of people to be tried as war criminals, and another to be banned from holding public office due to economic crimes committed during the war. It’s been met with mixed reactions. Some people say it was too heavy handed, while others say that it goes too easy on some of the main perpetrators. Furthermore, it’s been accused of being overly vague about the wartime role of some key political players. Both of the lists include not only very wealthy Liberians, but heavily political Liberians. Many of whom are members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and various Ministries. Including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. She’s not being recommended to be tried for war crimes, but recommended to be banned from holding public office for 30 years.
I haven’t actually read the report yet, so I can’t say whether it’s thorough, or goes too easy on certain people, or is too heavy handed. But putting Ellen on the list has definitely stimulated some interesting office discussions. Ann Dora, my co-worker with the red lips, began talking about her days working in the Executive Mansion before during the time that Wilton Sankawulo was the Chairman of the collective presidency that lasted from September 1995 to September 1996. This “collective presidency” brought together the previously warring factions into one joint government – meaning that Charles Taylor, leader of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL); Alhaji Kromah, who headed the United Liberation Movement (ULIMO-K); George Boley of the Liberia Peace Council (LPC); and a civilian representing the interests of civil society, Oscar Quiah, were all supposed to be working together with Mr. Sankawulo.
[Sidenote: Wilton Sankawulo was not a politician by nature – he kind of got swept into it. He was primarily a writer – Liberian folklore, specifically Kpelle culture. He got his MFA from the Iowa writer’s workshop (which is impressive!) in the late 60s and has written ten books. Haven’t read any of his stuff yet but will look into it…]
Anyway, Ann Dora worked directly for Mr. Sankawulo, essentially as his administrative assistant. She worked closely with him in the executive mansion, and often saw and worked with Taylor and those other ex-warlords. During Sankawulo’s time as the Chairman, he was hosting his daughter’s wedding at his compound in Monrovia. Ann Dora had done all the arrangements, and had spent a good deal of time working on this wedding, so she was at his house the night before for the last minute preparations. But things weren’t right. There was a lot of talk going on around the city that Taylor’s people were mobilizing, and just a general sense of unrest growing in the city. So Ann Dora’s husband shows up at the house, asking her to come home. But she promises him things are fine and despite his protests, insists on staying.
Not long after, Taylor and Kromah appear with their people in the compound. Ann Dora is in the next room, listening, when the two warlords essentially tell Sankawulo that they’ve decided to take control, and they’ll kill him if he resists. After they leave, Ann Dora realizes she probably should have listened to her husband – and tries to leave. But there are no cars, people are running around naked and painted for war, and it’s clear she’s stuck. Luckily, her husband returned and got her out of there and that night, the city broke out into chaos and Sankawulo had to seek safety with Taylor, the only person powerful enough to protect him.
The point of the story: everyone has a connection to the war and war criminals and people who aided and abetted. Does it make it right? No. But in a place where half the population could be held liable, how to pick and chose who should be held accountable? The charge against President Sirleaf is that she provided financial assistance to Taylor when he was in the bush, prepping to take over Monrovia. She’s never denied that. The real question is how clear his insane-war-lord-ish-ness was at that point. I don’t know the answer to that, to be honest. Interestingly, the US supported Taylor, particularly Jimmy Carter – who really liked him. Not saying Carter should be on the list too, just noting that Taylor was a charming and convincing man . . .
I myself am currently supporting two warlords. Taylor was one of the founders of the cell phone company I use, Lone Star. And, best of all, the house that I am currently living in is owned by Mr. Saa Gbollie, current Representative for Margibi County and former, under Taylor. The headline of this article: "Saah Gbollie Was Responsible for My Torturing."* A co-worker told me to give some rice to the boys next store – former rebels – and they’ll make sure we’re protected. Again, there’s the underlying layer of surreality that you can so easily miss: we live in the house of a former rebel leader who is actually on the TRC report’s list to be tried for war crimes. And it’s not uncommon. That’s just how it is here.
It will be interesting to see how much truth and reconciliation this report will bring. So many on the list are in power - politically and financially. The former warlords are in the House of Representatives, so the likelihood of the recommendations passing in the House seem slim. It has stirred up some underlying tensions, but so far, in my limited scope of understanding, it seems to be mainly in the political realm and not spreading in the population. However, what do I know? I have too much to learn about the TRC - politicaly implications and motivations etc etc etc. It's difficult to tell where to draw the line with the accusations and the trials - and begs the question - can you have peace without justice? Without holding these public war lords accountable, how will the country move on? But at the same time, is the country strong enough and ready to address these issues without inciting more tensions?
*Full article: http://allafrica.com/stories/200811270843.html
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