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Paris, July 25 2003
The FIDH is highly concerned about the dramatic humanitarian
crisis in Liberia. The continuing fighting between the LURD
rebels -Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy-,
the Model rebels -Movement for Democracy in Liberia- and Taylor’s
government forces has caused the death of more than 600 people
in less than five days, and sources report that more than one
million people, out of the three million inhabitants in the
country, are currently displaced. The extremely poor health
situation in the capital, Monrovia, has led to outbreaks of
serious diseases, including cholera, measles and malaria.
Despite the cease fire signed in Accra, Ghana, on 17 June 2003,
and although the LURD leader called in its troops to stop the
offensive on Monrovia on 20 and 22 July, the fights between
the warring parties have strongly revived, and mortar shells
and shootings are still brought down on civilian populations.
On 22 July, the Model rebels refused to sign the peace agreement
submitted by mediators from the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS), which rejected the idea that rebels movements
and government leaders be part of the transitional government.
The FIDH calls for the immediate deployment of peacekeeping
forces, to guarantee a cease-fire between belligerents as well
as to guarantee the protection of the civilian population. Moreover
the FIDH, recalling the declarations of the United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan, considers that this intervention has to
be approved by the UN Security Council in order to specify its
legal framework and mandate.
The FIDH recalls its unfailing commitment to democratic principles
and steadily condemns the methods of accession to power, which
are performed outside of any constitutional legality. Moreover,
the FIDH strongly condemns all attacks on civilians and recalls
that the civil population shall not in any way suffer from fighting
between all the belligerents. The FIDH, recalling Kofi Annan’s
statement on 21 July, “reminds all those who may be responsible
for gross human rights violations and violations of international
humanitarian law that they will be held, individually and collectively,
accountable for their actions”. The FIDH recalls that
an international arrest warrant on Charles Taylor was issued
on 4 June by the International Court in Sierra Leone for war
crimes, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international
humanitarian law committed in this country.
The FIDH urges:
All of the belligerents:
- to respect international human rights and humanitarian provisions,
notably concerning the protection of civilian populations.
- to immediately impose a real ceasefire.
- to provide security for humanitarian workers so that they
can assist the population throughout the whole country
- to participate in the ongoing peace talks in the region, under
the auspices of the ECOWAS, aiming at setting up a transitional
government and, in any case, stressing the urgent need to guarantee
a safe return for refugees and internally displaced people.
The UN Security Council
- to adopt a resolution under Chapter VII allowing States or
regional organization, in particular the ECOWAS, to send peacekeeping
operations, whose mandate includes the protection of civilians
and guarantee the protection of human rights.
- to immediately set up an International Mission to investigate
the human rights and humanitarian violations committed by all
the belligerents during the coup de force and to shed light
on the individual criminal responsibilities.
- If relevant, the Security Council should “refer to the
Prosecutor of the International criminal court (ICC) all crimes
within the jurisdiction of the Court which appeared to have
been committed requesting the Prosecutor to investigate the
situation for the purpose of determining whether one or more
specific persons should be charged with the commission of such
crimes”, according to Article 14 of the ICC Statute.
The international community
- To provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate the growing
suffering of the Liberian people.
Press contacts : Gaël Grilhot / Daniel Békoutou
: +33-1 43 55 14 12
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