Liberia could be plunged into a Rwanda-style genocide if President Charles Taylor goes into exile and leaves a political vacuum behind, one of the warlord’s senior ministers has warned.
Samuel Jackson, the country’s Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs who was in South Africa recently, told the Mail & Guardian that Taylor, who has promised to resign and go into exile in Nigeria, was concerned about the plight that would befall Liberians should he leave before an international peacekeeping force is in place.
Tens of thousands of Liberians have been killed and many more have been displaced in the conflict between the rebels and the government.
Jackson is one of Liberia’s key peace negotiators with the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (Lurd) and one of Taylor’s confidants and advisers. He said once Taylor goes there will be no excuse for the rebels to fight on.
”Taylor feels strongly that a Rwanda-style genocide might take place if he leaves a vacuum with no strong leader. The president does not want to leave with blood on his hands.”
He said the sincerity of role players in Liberia’s conflict will be tested once Taylor has left.
”It is of the utmost importance that a competent government is left in place when the president goes, with the necessary peacekeeping support from the international community. [It] will be a government of national unity with a place for the rebels, but Lurd will have to register as a formal political party.
”I believe that Lurd does not have a strong political constituency. The organisation is a proxy used by outside forces to affect the stability of Liberia. But these rebels are Liberians and they have to be accommodated.”
Jackson feared the vacuum that will be left when Taylor departs. ”Lurd is looking for a coup d’état. The moment there is a power vacuum they will march to the palace [the seat of government] … and declare that they have taken over the country. Than we will need force to remove them again.
”A stable government with [Vice-President] Moses Blah will govern for a year. Elections will be scheduled for next year. The rebels will be part of this process. At the moment the rebels are looking to hold elections in October. We ask for a dispensation to rebuild the government before we go to the polls,” Jackson said.
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire on June 17, but disagreed on the terms. Lurd says part of the agreement was that Taylor step down, but the government denied this. After heavy fighting in the capital, Taylor finally announced last week that he was willing to go.
Taylor led an armed rebellion during the 1980s and 1990s, before he won the election in 1997. He was responsible for overthrowing former president Samuel Doe, whose brother Chayee Doe is one of Lurd’s top leaders.
Jackson agreed Taylor is no innocent, ”but there are no choirboys in the region. Taylor has a power base to be reckoned with. Lurd needs to understand that if Taylor leaves they have to go to the negotiating table.
”People should appreciate that Taylor’s government is legitimate. In 1997 80% of Liberia elected Taylor as president in an election deemed to be free and fair by observers such as the European Union,” he said.
Taylor is accused of destabilising neighbouring countries, especially Sierra Leone. His critics accuse him of supporting rebels and of selling them weapons. The United Nations-backed war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone has issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes.
”Liberia’s relations with its neighbours are extremely bad,” said Jackson. ”Sierra Leone especially can’t stand Taylor. We are hoping that when Taylor goes relations will improve. But the charges will have to be dropped.”
Sierra Leone said Taylor funded the Revolutionary United Front, a rebel group that murdered and displaced thousands. Rebel activities in Guinea are also blamed on Liberia, which accuses Guinea of supporting Lurd. By the beginning of 2001 Guinea was home to more than 400 000 refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia. Lurd rebels operated from bases in Guinea.
Jackson said: ”The key to creating stability in Liberia after the ceasefire is to disarm, demobilise and integrate the soldiers from the army and the rebels into society.”
He said the road to peace and stability is long and expensive. ”We cannot do it alone. We need international and African support. But I believe Liberia has great potential to become a jewel in Africa. She just needs polishing.”