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Transitional Justice Working Group Initiative
The Road to Peace in Liberia:
Citizens Views on
Transitional Justice
August-September, 2004
SUBAH-BELLEH ASSOCIATES
GREENBERG QUINLAN ROSNER RESEARCH INC
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 2
“I appeal to the government that let this new Liberia be a new Liberia and what has happened should be in the past. Everybody should be given rights and let us build a new Liberia.”
- Female, Nimba County
A New Liberia
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 3
4551
0
20
40
60
Right direction Wrong direction
Country Direction
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 4
Bryant Job Approval
33
69
17
25
0
20
40
60
80
Approve Disapprove
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 5
Thermometer Ratings: Government
56 55
19 18 17
0
20
40
60
Gyude Bryant NationalTransitionalGovernment
LURD GOL MODEL
Mean Score on a Scale from 0-100
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 6
Faction Leaders in Transitional Government
22
49
39
46
0
20
40
60
Approve Disapprove
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 7
Effectiveness of DDRR
42
79
7
17
0
20
40
60
80
Effective Ineffective
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 8
Duration of Peace
8993
97
933
0
20
40
60
80
100
National Excombatants IDPs
Long-lasting peace Return to conflict soon
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 9
26 62
34 77
55 83
48 84
55 90
59 92
0 20 40 60 80 100
Decrease in number ofguns on the street
Peace in Liberia
Freedom to expressyourself
Freedom to move aboutthe country
Decrease in violence
Respect betweendifferent tribes
Much Some
Progress Made
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 10
5 19
7 25
0 10 20 30
Improvement ofthe economy
Increase in jobs
Much Some
Economic Progress
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 11
Concerns
2
3
4
4
6
7
10
11
23
31
35
61
0 20 40 60 80
Education
Health care
Unemployment
Poverty
Corruption
Human rights
HIV AIDS
Ex-combatants
Ritual killings
Tribalism
Drugs
Crime
54
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 12
DDRR Process
28
20
24
54
100
20
40
60
Too slowly Right pace Too quickly
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 13
27
1626
13
34
64
0
20
40
60
80
Toward Non-combatants Toward Excombatants
Too much Right amount Too little
Liberian Government Efforts
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 14
51
41
33
25
10
30
0
20
40
60
Toward Non-combatants Toward Excombatants
Too much Right amount Too little
UNMIL Efforts
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 15
4348
0
10
20
30
40
50
Working well Not working well
Justice System
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 16
14 38
16 47
0 10 20 30 40 50
Return of anational justice
system
Improvement ofnational justice
Much Some
Progress in Justice Issues
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 17
Thermometer Ratings: TRC
56 55
0
20
40
60
Truth and ReconciliationCommission
National TransitionalGovernment
Mean Score on a Scale from 0-100
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 18
4
711
2135
41
60
72
76
85
0 20 40 60 80 100
Forced to leave your home and live elsewhere
Lost contact with a close relative
A member of your family killed
Felt humilitaed
Forced to help a militia in other ways than fighting
Tortured
Kidnapped or taken hostage
Wounded by fighting
Forced to become a combatant
Raped by combatant
War Experiences
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 19
Dealing With the Past
62
78
17
22
0
20
40
60
80
100
It is more important to putthe past behind us.
It is more important tohold people accountable
for abuses during the war
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 20
Prosecution of War Figures
52
59
35
44
15
22
0
20
40
60
80
Faction leaders Excombatants Soldiers under age18
Prosecute, strongly Prosecute, somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 21
25 38
22 41
41 55
35 59
0 20 40 60
Approve strongly Approve somewhat
Addressing the War and Abuses
For those willing to admit their crimes, there would be no formal legal proceedings or prosecution. For those unwilling to admit to crimes, there would be formal legal proceedings and prosecution
Only target leaders and commanders of warring factions identified as committing or ordering abuses, and subject them to formal legal action and prosecution.
Confront and document the abuses through a written record, but without identifying individuals responsible for the abuses and without holding formal legal proceedings and prosecutions
Prosecute excombatants and leaders of warring factions who committed abuses, but avoid widespread public discussion about the abuses
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 22
26 40
46
73
48
6745
59
44
61
57 74
61 74
70 78
0 20 40 60 80
Very important Somewhat important
Actions for Peace and Reconciliation
Create a written record of all the abuses that happened during the war Create a special court to prosecute faction leaders and punish those found guilty of committing human rights violations
Create a truth crime tribunal where people can tell their stories about what they did during the war without fear of prosecution Give amnesty to all combatants who turn in their weapons
Give amnesty to all combatants who turn in their weapons, including faction leaders
Create a special court to prosecute combatants and punish those found guilty of committing human rights violations
Jail faction leaders for crimes committed during the war
Jail combatants for crimes committed during the war
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 23
“If there is no record, no advice will be given and I will continue to do it [crimes]. So at least if we can forgive we shouldn’t forget our records, so when it has been written and documented, you know what is wrong and can’t do it in the future. ”
- Female, Bong County
Written Record Quote
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 24
Eligible for Amnesty
36
73
28
61
21
44
18
43
0
20
40
60
80
Approve strongly Approve somewhat
Excombatants who have turned in their weapons
All Excombatants Faction leaders and commanders, even those that ordered combatants to kill, rape and torture civilians during the war
Faction leaders and commanders
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 25
24 59
25 58
27 63
30 59
31 60
31 61
33 67
41 78
48 83
54 86
0 20 40 60 80 100
Excombatants acknowledge crimes, ask for forgiveness
A civilian assisted a militia with food or shelter
A combatant looted civilian houses
A combatant forced a civilian to fight
A combatant murdered a civilian
A combatant raped numerous civilians
A civilian provided a militia with guns and ammunition
A combatant forced numerous civilians to fight
A combatant murdered numerous civilians
A combatant raped a civilian
Grant, strongly Grant, somewhat
Granting Amnesty
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 26
TRC Hearings
62
72
15
18
0
20
40
60
80
Public Private
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 27
Current or New Courts to Judge War Abuses
47
66
19
23
0
20
40
60
80
New court Current court
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 28
Composition of Special Court
12
22 51
63
5
8
0
20
40
60
80
Liberians Both Foreigners
Strongly Somewhat
Liberians or Foreigners?
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 29
“It is going to be Liberians who face the courts. If the judges are Liberians, they will want to back each other, but if a foreigner comes in the truth will be unveiled.”
- Female, Bong County
Foreigners in New Court Quote
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 30
Thermometer Ratings: International
88 88 86 84 78
0
20
40
60
80
100
UNMIL United Nations ECOWAS United States Nigeria
Mean Score on a Scale from 0-100
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 31
Need for the International Community
79
82
11
18
0
20
40
60
80
100
Liberia needs help from theinternational community to
make progress.
Liberia can progress on itsown without the help of the
international community
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 32
6
7
17
28
34
0 10 20 30 40
Provided housing
Financialcompensation
Free education
Provided jobs
Free medicalservices
Victims Compensation
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 33
34
63
10
24
66
0
20
40
60
80
Original Origins
From county
Moved voluntarily
Forced to move
Yes No
Plan to Return
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 34
Home County – Those that Moved
2
2
2
3
3
3
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
17
20
0 10 20 30
Bong
Lofa
Maryland
Sinoe
Grand Cape Mount
Grand Kru
Bomi
Nimba
Grand Bassa
Grand Gedeh
Margibi
River Gee
Gbarpolu
Montserrado
Rivercess
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 35
Home County - IDPs
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
8
10
14
15
42
0 10 20 30 40 50
Lofa
Gbarpolu
Bomi
Grand Cape Mt.
Bong
Maryland
Grand Kru
Grand Bassa
Rivercess
Sinoe
Nimba
Montserrado
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 36
82
6862
2817
29
158
0
20
40
60
80
100
National IDPs Excombatants
Reintegrate Depends Never Reintegrate
Excombatant Reintegration
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 37
“They should be accepted because we are talking about forgiveness, healing, we are talking about being patriots and so we should accept them in the community .”
- Male Community Leader, Monrovia
Reintegration Quote
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 38
“If I am not welcome, I will come back and ask you to carry me so as to talk to my people to forgive me because as we are talking about peace, everybody needs to forgive each other.”
- Bomi excombatant
Reintegration Quote
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 39
10
75
0
20
40
60
80
Yes No
Charles Taylor Committed War Crimes
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 40
2
7
7
13
22
29
0 10 20 30
Jail for life
Amnesty/forgiven
Jail less than life
Death
Exiled fromLiberia
No role ingovernment
Taylor Punishment
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 41
October 2005 Elections
81
91
7
0
20
40
60
80
100
Favor Oppose
Strongly Somewhat
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 42
•Liberians are optimistic about the future of Liberia and have seen progress made in many areas, but more needs to be done, especially in terms of economic conditions, education and the justice system. •Liberians also feel that the government is doing too little, particularly in respect to non-combatants. •While Liberians want to put the past behind them, this does not mean they want to forget about the past. •Liberians are strongly in favor of having a written record. But a written record alone will not suffice.
Key Findings
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 43
•Holding truth crime tribunals where excombatants can publicly admit their wrongs without fear of retribution is the most approved manner to address the war. This was also strongly approved by excombatants, so would be the best mechanism to bring excombatants into the justice system. •While most Liberians do not want to prosecute excombatants, there is a strong desire to prosecute faction leaders and commanders and hold them accountable. •Liberians do not think the current court system can handle the prosecutions of war crimes and desire a special court comprised of both Liberians and foreigners.
Key Findings
LiberiaAugust/September 2004Figure # 44
•Liberians think they can not go it alone and need assistance from the international community. •There is also a strong desire to reintegrate excombatants back into their communities.
Key Findings