Ambassador Brown speaks at the United Nations in New York
Two leading Liberian human rights organizations have condemned President Joseph Boakai’s nomination of Lewis Brown, an accused econimic criminal, as the country’s ambassador to the United Nations just as the country is asking the international community to support a war and economic crimes court.
Mr. Brown was a trusted ally of Charles Taylor when he invaded Liberia to launch a rebellion under the National Patriotic Front, that devastated the country. When Mr. Taylor was elected president in 1997, mostly because the voters believed it was the only way to stop him fighting, Mr. Brown held a number of positions, including national security advisor. President Boakai nominated Mr. Brown to the post last week.
“It is paradoxical and betraying to have President Boakai requesting the approval and support of the United Nations to prosecute alleged war criminals in Liberia and at the same time nominating a notable alleged war criminal who is one of those indicted by the (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) TRC for prosecution, to coordinate such efforts at the United Nations,” said the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association (Limasa), the largest victims and survivors group, in a statement. “Limasa says such an appointment only points to the president’s insensitivity to the plight and welfare of thousands of war victims and survivors who continue to live in destitution and misery as a result of the actions of Mr. Brown and his National Patriotic Party of Liberia and other factions.”
Mr. Hassan Bility, head of Global Justice Research Project, which has helped gather evidence in 15 cases of accused perpetrators in Liberia’s civil wars for law enforcement in Europe and the United States, echoed the victims’ opposition.
“The appointment of Lewis Brown to the UN is a pointed and nasty slap in the face of the president’s efforts to establish the Liberian War and Economic Crimes Courts,” said Mr. Bility in a WhatsApp message. “We call on the president to reverse such decision. While it’s true that there’s no evidence against anybody mentioned in the TRC, the president must be cautious about appointing people over whom hang suspicious clouds. Liberia’s international partners – especially potential donors – are viewing this an affront to his dream of establishing the court. We are watching.”
Ambassador Brown was recommended by Liberia’s TRC as one of 26 “individuals responsible for committing economic crimes.” The NPFL committed two in every five violations reported to the TRC, including murder, rape, torture and forced labor.
Mr. Peterson Sonyah is the executive director of the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association.
When reached for comment, Mr. Brown expressed regret that he could not respond by deadline and promised to respond in full a day on Wednesday, but didn’t do so.
Madam Kula Fofana, the presidential press secretary, did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Ambassador Brown will need to be confirmed by the Senate, as he did under the Sirleaf administration. He may face opposition by the chamber which passed a resolution to establish the war and economics crimes courts earlier this year.
Abraham Darius Dillion, who has openly supported the courts, is the current chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which confirms the foreign minister and ambassadors of Liberia’s foreign service. As with other committees, the foreign relations committee comprises other senators, including Prince Johnson of Nimba County, who tops the TRC list of “most notorious perpetrators.” Limasa called on the Liberian Senate to deny Mr. Brown’s confirmation. It also called on the US government to deny Mr. Brown a diplomatic entry visa to the country saying , “America and the United Nations should not be a haven for alleged war criminals.”
President Boakai is not the first president to put Mr. Brown in the role. He also served as ambassador of Liberia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations under ex-presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah. Both were criticized by human rights advocates for taking little or no action on accountability for past crimes.
Mr. Brown’s appointment comes as Liberia’s war and economic crimes courts efforts have gathered steam after President Boakai appointed Dr. Jallah Barbu as the new executive director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts. Mr. Brown’s UN nomination is provoking fury among human rights advocates and victims and survivors groups, especially months after the president had asked the UN for financial and technical support for the courts.
This story is a collaboration with Frontpage Africa as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say in the story’s content.