Africa-Press – Liberia. Washington D.C. – Adama Kiatamba Dempster, National Secretary General of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia, will be joining the United States Congress – Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on accountability for war and economic crimes in Liberia. The hearing, titled “Next Steps Towards Accountability for War and Economic Crimes,” is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Invited by the Commission, Dempster and others will speak on the ongoing efforts towards accountability for war and economic crimes in Liberia. As the National Secretary General of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia and Lead Campaigner for the Coalition for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia, Dempster is a human rights activist and a leading voice in advocating for justice and accountability for the victims of war and economic crimes in Liberia.
On May 2, Liberian President Boakai signed an Executive Order to establish the Office of a War and Economic Crimes Court–a major, long-awaited step toward redressing the wounds of the country’s civil wars. According to the executive order, the Office is empowered to “investigate, design, and prescribe the methodology, mechanisms, and the processes for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court,” as well as a National Anti-Corruption Court.
“In recent decades, Liberia’s people have suffered untold human rights violations while perpetrators acted with near-complete impunity during the country’s multiple civil wars,” the Commission recalls. “Between 1989 and 2003, 250,000 Liberians died from the fighting, and thousands more were conscripted as child soldiers, raped, suffered loss of limbs, and endured other traumatic experiences. Since that time, not a single war crimes trial has occurred in Liberia as part of the country’s judicial process.”
The hearing will provide a platform for Dempster, as one of five panelists, to share his insights and expertise on the current state of accountability in Liberia and the steps that need to be taken to ensure justice for the victims. He will also highlight the challenges faced by civil society organizations in their pursuit of accountability and the role of international support in this process.
According to the Hearing notice from the Commission, the panel will examine the legacy of Liberia’s civil wars on its people and economy and the next steps for the new Office of a War and Economic Crimes Court, and offer recommendations for Congress.
Co-Chaired by Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) of the 118th Congress, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is a bipartisan commission of the United States Congress with a mission to promote, defend, and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other relevant human rights instruments, in a nonpartisan manner, both within and outside of Congress.
Congressman Smith, who is no stranger to the discourse on Liberia’s human rights journey, has been vocal over the last six years about rights abuses under the administration of then-President George Weah. One of his most quotable quotes at the time was his description of Weah’s regime as a “kleptocratic government”.
Dempster’s participation in this hearing is a testament to his dedication and commitment towards promoting human rights and seeking justice for the victims of war and economic crimes in Liberia. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is honored to have him as a speaker and looks forward to his valuable contributions to the discussion.
Other Panelists to speak at the hearing include: Dr. Alan White, Co-Executive Director for the Advocacy Foundation for Human Rights (non-profit organization) & Former Chief of Investigations of the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone; Yahsyndi Martin-Kpeyei, Executive Director of the Movement for Justice for Liberia; Alvin Smith, Chief Investigator for the International Justice Group (NGO); Adama Kiatamba Dempster, National Secretary General, Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia; and Elizabeth Evenson, Director, International Justice Program, Human Rights Watch.
The hearing will be hybrid, the Commission says. Members of Congress will participate in person. Witnesses may participate in person or remotely via Cisco WebEx. The public and the media may attend in person or view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website. The hearing will also be available for viewing on the House Digital Channel service.
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