Tempering Great Expectations: Peacebuilding & Transitional Justice in Liberia

This paper addresses the simultaneous peacebuilding and transitional justice activities that have been undertaken in Liberia since 2003, when the civil war ended with a ratified peace agreement. It will argue that while genuine efforts have been made in both respects, Liberia’s peace remains fragile, and demands for prompt justice are unlikely to be met in the near future. Over the last eight years, significant progress has been made in peacebuilding, particularly in security sector reform, the efficient disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants, and the steady (albeit slow) rebuilding of the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, each of these undertakings still faces many challenges. There are few trained lawyers and rural Liberians have virtually no access to formal justice. The reintegration and rehabilitation of adult former belligerents remains problematic with few employment opportunities and active militias in the regions. Concurrent with institutional peacebuilding, efforts to provide Liberians with truth regarding crimes that occurred during the conflict and suggest mechanisms for reconciliation were made through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which tabled its final report in 2009. Beset with ongoing difficulties, nevertheless the TRC was innovative in several ways, including its detailing of violations against women and children as well as economic crimes, its documentation of testimonies from expatriates, along with its suggestions for traditional forms of accountability and truth-telling, notably the ‘Palava Hut’ system. While public reaction has focused on the report’s list of individuals recommended for prosecution and removal from political office, there has been less acknowledgement that the report and its subsequent handling by the Liberian government raises issues of critical importance for Liberia’s fledgling democracy. Despite huge amounts of foreign aid, Liberia exists in a state of economic precariousness—it is one of the world’s five poorest countries, and government institutions remain weak overall, especially outside of the capital. Moreover, with more than a half dozen former rebels occupying senior government positions, political spoilers are a persistent challenge to government peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts. Finally, while lip service is paid to the idea of local ownership of peace and transitional justice, Liberia’s capacity for such endeavours remains greatly strained. Indeed, between near total dependence on foreign aid and the ongoing presence of one of the largest UN missions in the world, the country’s sovereignty over its own affairs is arguable. These caveats do not undermine the very real achievements that have been made so far in peacebuilding and transitional justice in Liberia, but they do urge a tempering of great expectations; in particular, hopes for swift justice are unlikely to be fulfilled in the short term.