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U.N. Threat to Peace, Security, Say 'Victims' of Economic Sanctions

The Analyst (Monrovia)
NEWS
June 24, 2004
Posted to the web June 24, 2004

Claim Violation of Their Rights
On the eve of Christmas 1989, the shot that was to alter and distort the
political and security chemistry of Liberia permanently rang out. Since then,
Liberia's sovereignty has been nothing but paper concept. It took the
interventions of ECOWAS, OAU (now AU), the UN, and Liberia's traditional
mentor, the United States of America to restore a strange calm that implode
barely 15 months following the 1997 proportional representation elections that
brought former warlord Charles Taylor to the presidency - his dream post.
But the international community, which comprises such core elements as the UN,
U.S., and the UK, amongst others, was on edge as it watched the ECOWAS
subregion razed in flame of military adventurism that left several hundred
thousands persons maimed, dispersed, or killed. As a solution, the
international community, speaking through the United Nations, resolved that
Liberia is the epicenter of the trouble in the subregion and decided to trim
its disciplinary activities on Liberia. First, it strengthened its 1992 arms
embargo on Liberia, and then it gradually edged to the imposition of travel
restrictions on key persons in the Taylor government.
When that did not seem to work, it slammed the diamonds and then the timber
sanctions for separate reasons. Recently, the UN consolidated its defenses by
tracking and freezing the assets of individuals suspected of undermining the
measures already put into place. Many thought these measures were having
positive effect on subregional peace and security, but a group of ex-government
officials and "associates" of former Liberian president, Charles Taylor say
they don't. And yesterday, they met to voice out their grievances. The
Analyst's News Editor, Gibson W. Jerue reports.
Six individuals, including former Liberian government officials and family
members of exiled former president Charles Taylor, yesterday, accused the
United Nations Security Council of threatening peace and security in Liberia.
"It is illegal for this world body to lose sight of its jurisdiction which is
strictly over State Parties who are signatories to the United Nations Charter.
As such those State Parties shall be held amendable to the whims of the United
Nations because these State Parties do have forum for redress before that world
body," said the group's statement read on its behalf by former information
minister, Reginald Goodridge.
The group that comprise former Information Minister, Reginald Goodridge; NPP
National Chairman and high profile figure in Taylor's shadow cabinet, Cyril
Allen; Maritime Commissioner, Benoni Urey; the tough-talking former Senator of
Sinoe County Myrtle Gibson; former Land and Mines Minister Jenkins Dunbar, and
former First Lady, Jewel-Howard Taylor, made the statement when it addressed a
press briefing at a local supermarket in Sinkor.
According to the group's statement titled, "The UN Is The Threat To Peace And
Security In Liberia," there is absolutely no justification for imposing travel
ban on its members and at the same time tracking and seizing the assets of
former government officials, private businessmen, and family members of Taylor
on the flimsy allegation of being Taylor's "associates".
The group expressed surprise that instead of pursuing its peace agenda for
which it was established more than 50 years ago, the UN has metamorphosed into
a nymph that was now engaging in witch-hunting.
In their opinion, the United Nations has stooped too low in an attempt to
expand its jurisdiction over individual citizens in member countries, saying
that that violates the rights of the individuals under international law.
The statement did not say which aspect of the international law was violated by
the UN's imposition of travel ban and freezing of the assets of individuals
suspected of undermining regional peace, but insinuated that the UN was the
plaintiff, jury, and judge in the action it has taken against its members.
Apart from the general statement read by Mr. Goodridge, each of the members of
the group took term to give justification why they should be considered
"persecuted and victimized" by the most powerful organization on earth.
Mr. Goodridge is the former minister of information who is credited for
launching Taylor's media front against "international blackmail": "A group of
eminent Liberians have again been targeted; the charges, travel ban, and
freezing of our assets are illegal and violation of our rights." He believes
the reasons for the punitive actions against them remains unsubstantiated and
that since the UN offers no forum for them to be heard, all that was within
their powers to do was to speak out to the hearing of the Liberian people and
individuals, who believe in the rule of law.
"Liberians cannot and should not subject any group of Liberians to humiliation,
and we think that this action on the part of the sanctions committee
contravenes the purpose of ensuring lasting peace in the country," he added.
Mr. Goodridge noted that the UN's action against them was tantamount to murder,
adding, "Each of us has a family, each of us has businesses that employ
hundreds and thousands of Liberians, and if we cannot travel and our assets are
frozen, thousands of people are going to suffer." The former information boss
said, "The UN has stated that there is 80% plus unemployment rate in Liberia.
They are not capable of employing Liberians; we can, but their action is
affecting thousands of other Liberians." Former First Lady, Jewel Howard-
Taylor, agrees. She thinks it rather paradoxical that she was allowed under
humanitarian reasons to travel when she was yet first lady of Liberia, but now
disallowed when she is no longer a first lady.
"This is violating my rights; it is divisive; it is harming the peace process;
it is dehumanizing, and the whole ban is illegal," she lamented.
She said besides posing threat to the lives of thousands of Liberians, the
travel ban and the freezing of assets was already placing their children in
difficult circumstances many of whom no longer go to school for lack of funds.
According to her, branding individuals on the basis of their contact with
former president Charles Taylor was a useless exercise intended to punish
harmless and innocent individuals.
On whether her contact with Taylor would cause the UN to be afraid of her
husband using her for devilment, she said in a sternly tone: "I am the wife of
Mr. Taylor. I am in contact with him and I will always be. And let it be said
here that his friends will be in contact with him too; but his being in contact
with one or two persons cannot do anything." Chief Cyril Allen is the former
Chairman of the National Patriotic Party, the party that hurled Mr. Taylor to
the presidency in 1997. He was caught between NPP's upstart reactionaries and
Taylor's critics and was twice reprimanded by Mr. Taylor for his stance against
corruption in government. He now faces travel ban and a freeze on his personal
assets: "This is not an attack against the NTGL, but we are aware that there
may be some elements in the NTGL that are pushing this thing against us. We do
not know them, but we are taking issues with the UN." He believes that there is
no way any Liberian would better himself by endangering the peace process.
Revealing that they were exploring several avenues for making their grievances
and dissatisfaction known, he noted: "I can tell anybody that Mr. Taylor has no
capacity to destabilize Liberia. I can say this much; Taylor has my number but
I don't have his. He calls me and if he did, I cannot switch off the phone in
his ears. Taylor has not called me and given me any negative instruction or
discussed subversive things." Benoni Urey headed the Bureau of Maritime Affairs
which came close to controversy in the dying days of Taylor's administration:
"Have you ask yourself whether it is possible for Taylor to destabilize this
country. Has somebody been misinforming the UN and the United States?" The
former Maritime commissioner is angry and thinks that the Liberian people owe
him some gratitude for "giving leadership to the Maritime program for years."
Mr. Urey revealed that he had told Mr. Taylor not to call him any more because
he wanted to move forward, to look after his farm, have a peace of mind and to
be in good rapport with the UN.
"I have told him not to call me again," he said.
Myrtle Gibson, former Sinoe County legislator, is well known for her role in
the destruction of the Barclay Training Center for the purpose of constructing
a children's village. Journalists greeted her with a barrage of questions on
the status of the project that destroyed the headquarters of the Armed Forces
of Liberia in 2000.
The project still stands and more funds are expected to come from the Pivarotti
concert that was held recently for the purpose, she said, claiming that the
project did not go according to schedule because contractors were harassed by
unknown individuals.
Jenkins Dunbar headed the Lands and Mines Ministry when diamonds became the
fuel for conflict in the subregion. He is still adamant that the sanctions on
timber and diamonds should be lifted because they are "unjust".
According to him, the Kimberley process was simply being used as alibi to keep
a lid on Liberia's diamonds trade because the Taylor Government tried following
the Kimberly process.
"We participated in the Kimberly process; they said Liberia should be observer
and not be a member. That was unjust to the Liberian people to keep the
sanctions on us," Mr. Dunbar said.
The former Minister of Finance, Mr. Charles R. Bright, former advisor to
President Charles Taylor, Mr. Emmanuel Shaw, for National Security Advisor,
John T. Richardson and the former Managing Director of the Roberts
International Airport were not present at the press conference, they were said
to be in concert with their colleagues.
It may be recalled that the Security Council voted unanimously to impose what
it called "smart targeted sanctions" on Liberia in order to compel the Taylor
administration to stop its policy of exporting violence across Liberia's
borders.
Taylor denied using timber and diamonds to fuel conflicts in the subregion, but
the denials did very little to soften the determination of the International
community to see his administration in favorable light.
Some say the sanctions helped dampen Taylor's resolve to continue prosecuting
the war against the LURD and MODEL rebels; but unfortunately, his departure
raised more suspicions, leading to the imposition of yet another punitive
measure: the freezing of assets.
Those affected have individually been crying "wolf! Wolf!" But they are now
doing it in concert.
What that will amount to given the mindset of the UN Security Council is better
left to speculations, according to observers.

   

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