Is the trial of Tarlor the Remedy for Liberians?

Is the trail of Taylor remedy for Liberians?

Daniel Aforo

“If Charles Taylor is the main problem in Liberia, I well step
down for peace to prevail” This was what embattled Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor said in a voice touched with emotions at the Accra Peace Accord in 2003.

This was when the Government of Ghana, African Union, (AU) and the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) on 4, June 2003, facilitated the inauguration of peace talks among the government of Liberia, civil society and the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), the two rebel groups that fought Taylor during the civil war of Liberia in 1989 to 1996.

On July 17, 2003, both the LURD and the MODEL alongside the government of Liberia, signed a peace- fire agreement within 30 days. Unfortunately, the three combatants subsequently broke that ceasefire repeatedly, which resulted in bitter fighting that eventually reached downtown Monrovia. The leaders of ECOWAS finally persuaded Taylor to step down .After that all the leaders from the Liberian government, the political parties, rebels and civil society groups signed a comprehensive peace agreement that opened a framework for establishing a two year National Transitional Government of Liberia, in which Gyude Bryant became the chairman.

Liberia was largely peaceful, until April 12, 1980,when a group of non -commissioned officers led by Samuel Doe,from the Krahn ethnic group stormed the executive mansion and assassinated President William Richard Tolbert and seized power. There was an elections in 1985 where Doe and his political party won the elections. Immediately after the elections there was an increase in human rights abuse, corruption, unemployment, the standard of living declining as well.

Unfortunately, on December 24, 1989, a small group of rebels led by Charles Taylor, invaded Liberia from Cote d’Ivoire. The bloodiest civil war that sparked from 1989 to 1996 claimed the lives of over 200,000 Liberians and led million others into refugee camps. The United Nations, United States of America, the then African Unity(now African Union) and ECOWAS made a considerable progress in negotiations and suddenly disarmament and demobilization of warring factions were quickly carried out. This, then paved way for a special elections on 19 July,1997,with Taylor winning overwhelmingly with 75 percent of the vote cast.

Suddenly, two years later another civil war broke out in which the ECOWAS stepped in to have a solution to that.