By Christian Appleton
Gbonyea, Bong County | October 17, 2025–The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has officially dedicated a new memorial in Gbonyea, Bong County, forcefully renewing its demand for criminal accountability for atrocities committed during Liberia’s civil wars. The Commission emphasized that true peace cannot exist without justice for victims and survivors of the brutal conflicts.
Speaking at the ceremony, INCHR Chairperson Cllr. T. Dempster Brown reminded attendees that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued 203 recommendations. These included reparations, reconciliation efforts, public hearings, and, most critically, criminal accountability for those who committed crimes against humanity.
“The Commission made it clear: those who committed crimes must be held to account,” Cllr. Brown declared. “You can’t talk about peace when there is no justice. There must be justice before peace.
Cllr. Brown reaffirmed the INCHR’s commitment to implementing the TRC’s recommendations, noting the Commission is collaborating with international partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to construct memorials nationwide in honor of war victims.
He praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration for its ongoing commitment to establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC), describing the court as vital for achieving lasting peace and national healing.
“The perpetrators of Liberia’s war crimes will not go unpunished,” he warned. “We will ensure that all those who killed our brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers face accountability.”
In an emotional moment, Cllr. Brown shared his personal loss, recounting that his 70-year-old mother was killed while fleeing toward the Ivory Coast. “I don’t know where my mother’s grave is today,” he said solemnly. “We are not joking here.”
He further disclosed that the INCHR has identified 334 mass graves across the nation, with civil society organizations recently reporting an additional 96 sites. These discoveries, he said, underscore the urgent need for justice and the pursuit of truth.
Cllr. Brown also condemned the continued political participation of individuals implicated in wartime atrocities. “The biggest mistake we ever made was electing people who killed others to the House of Representatives and the Senate,” he asserted, urging citizens to demand the passage of the war crimes court legislation currently before the National Legislature.
He explained that once the WECC is established, judges and prosecutors will be appointed to handle cases involving war crimes and economic crimes committed during Liberia’s civil unrest. “This is about restoring dignity, ensuring accountability, and laying the foundation for genuine peace,” he concluded.
The memorial, he noted, is intended not only as a place of remembrance but also as a symbol of community unity and respect for the ancestors. “We are Africans. We believe in our ancestors,” Cllr. Brown said. “This memorial is for you to visit, for elders to hold meetings, and for the community to take ownership.”
He urged residents to protect the site from misuse, warning that it should not become a place for drug use or immoral activities. Cllr. Brown also thanked the Liberian government for its prior contribution of US$74,000 for a similar memorial project in River Gee County.
Supporting the INCHR’s effort, Boye Johnson, Programme Analyst for Inclusive Governance at the UNDP, confirmed that the construction of the Gbonyea memorial is part of a broader national initiative to honor victims and promote healing through remembrance.
“The dedication of this site is a moment of reflection, a time to honor those who lost their lives so tragically, and a reminder of the importance of peace and justice in Liberia,” Johnson remarked. He estimated the total cost of the project, including the installation of a hand pump, at US$31,000.
Johnson urged residents to regard the memorial as a sacred symbol of their collective history. “This site is a mirror of the past and a pledge for a better future,” he said.
Eyewitness accounts and historical records presented during the ceremony recall the horrific Gbonyea Town massacre of December 10, 1994, during Liberia’s first civil war. The atrocity claimed the lives of more than 500 civilians, including men, women, and children, many of whom were residents and displaced persons seeking refuge.
The massacre, allegedly carried out by fighters believed to belong to the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), remains one of the deadliest single-day atrocities of Liberia’s conflict era. Victims were either buried in mass graves or left unburied in the aftermath.
Local authorities, survivors, traditional leaders, and national stakeholders attended the dedication, including Selena P. Mappy, Deputy Minister for Operations at the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Caroline Da Silva e Sousa, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and Cllr. Frederick L.M. Gbemie, Director for Operations at the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
As the crowd stood in solemn silence to honor the victims, the message from Gbonyea echoed across the nation: peace in Liberia cannot be sustained without justice for those who perished.