West Africa: Weah Complains Boakai to Ecowas

Former President George Weah has penned a letter to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Turay, raising concerns over what he describes as the recent violent attack on the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters by Liberian security forces.

Weah asserts that this attack is part of a series of actions taken by the Boakai Administration to suppress political freedoms, flout the rule of law, and create unrest in the country. Weah’s letter highlights instances of police aggression towards CDC members and supporters, citing the use of excessive force and arbitrary detentions as forms of intimidation.

“I write to draw your attention and through you, the Authority of Heads of State, to an unprovoked attack on the headquarters of our political institution, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on Thursday, August 22, 2024, by Liberian security forces under the dubious guise of effecting a drug raid,” Weah said in a letter dated August 23, 2024. “This premeditated and callous act of violence targeted at the country’s main opposition political party is the latest in a series of actions by the Boakai Administration to trample upon political freedoms, disregard the laws of the land, undermine democracy, and stoke tension in the country.”

The former President also referenced an August 5, 2024, incident, “The nation witnessed a similar police action, again targeted at the headquarters of the CDC – where they illegally breached the entry to the compound while heavily armed. As former leaders of the country, we know that these brazen acts of aggression are under the instruction of President Joseph Boakai himself – who has said that he intends to diminish the CDC’s ability to mount any meaningful political fight in the future.”

Tensions escalated in Monrovia as violent clashes broke out between the police and supporters of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in the early morning of Thursday, August 22. The government accused former President George Weah and his CDC party of instigating the unrest, while CDC officials claim the violence was triggered by an unannounced police raid.

Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah described the chaos as a “calculated and designed plan” by Weah and CDC allies to destabilize the nation. Piah criticized the actions of key CDC figures, including Representative Frank Saah Foko, labeling them as “irresponsible” and a threat to Liberia’s peace and stability.

Eyewitnesses reported that the unrest started with a police raid near the CDC headquarters in Congo Town around 5 a.m. The situation quickly escalated as residents, especially women, raised alarms, leading to roadblocks on Tubman Boulevard and clashes between CDC supporters and the police.

CDC Secretary-General Jefferson Koijee accused the police of provoking the violence, alleging that a police vehicle had entered the CDC compound the night before, resulting in gunfire and a raid. Koijee took to social media to express concern about the safety of CDC members and called for immediate attention to the situation.

As the unrest unfolded, nearby businesses, such as telecommunications giant LoneStar Cell MTN had to cease operations due to safety concerns.

These chaotic events, which took hours, had far-reaching consequences, impacting public health, social mobility, and the already struggling economy.

However, Weah, in his letter to ECOWAS, expresses alarm over the erosion of democratic principles and the alleged weaponization of prosecutorial powers under the current government. The former president calls on ECOWAS to intervene diplomatically to safeguard Liberia’s democratic gains and prevent further democratic regression in the region.

Weah asserts that, despite the threats and challenges faced by the CDC, the party remains committed to upholding its rights and democratic principles.

Weah however did not explain how many of his partisans hurled stones at the Liberia National Police, some of which nearly hit the Speaker of the Legislature, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, who tried to gain access to the CDC headquarters. Weah did not order his supporters to stand down.

What could ECOWAS possibly do?

Meanwhile, an ECOWAS delegation is expected in Liberia this week, though it is not clear whether they are coming to address the incident at the CDC headquarters.

As a regional body, ECOWAS has protocols by which aggrieved parties within its member states may file complaints to the regional body. As a destination of last resort, aggrieved individuals or groups from a member state must have exhausted all legal means of addressing their grievances in their home country before bringing their claims before the regional body.

Sources within the Boakai administration told the Daily Observer that neither Mr. Weah nor his political party, the CDC, have filed a complaint to any government authority, concerning the conduct of the Liberian police on the party’s premises.

Other opposition political parties have called for an independent investigation into the incident, given the claims and counterclaims traded between the CDC and Liberian law enforcement.

Weah Not a Respecter of ECOWAS

Despite his plea for ECOWAS interventions in what was happening in the country, Weah has proven not to be a respecter of the regional body–at least from what transpired during his administration.

His government refused to obey a ruling by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in a case involving former associate justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia Kabina Mohamed Ja’neh.

The regional court ordered the Government of Liberia to reinstate Justice Ja’neh and paid him us$200,000 as reprobation for moral prejudice suffered in the violation of his rights.

The former associate justice was impeached in March 2019 for granting a rate of prohibition petition brought by petroleum dealers in Liberia to stop the government from collecting 25 cents of road tax.

He sued the Weah government before the regional court and won the case. The government, represented by the United States Government’s sanctioned then Solicitor General, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, launched an appeal against the ruling, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain argument or rule on the suit filed by Cllr. Kabineh M. Ja’neh that his impeachment from the Supreme Court Bench violated his human rights, particularly the right to a fair hearing and impartial trial.

The ECOWAS Court of Justice, however, denied arguments from the government that the regional court is “incompetent to review, interpret, and apply the national constitution and domestic laws of Member States.”

After the appeal was denied, Cllr. Ja’neh on Thursday, June 17, 2021, declared he and his lawyer would not rest until the Weah government complied fully with the ECOWAS Court’s ruling.

He told a Voice of America interview from Lagos, Nigeria, that he has always taken the position that the Government of Liberia has no expression in the matter, noting that he has been given the right to decide whether to retire and get all benefits appertaining thereto or to be reinstated.

He vows that he and his lawyers will not rest until the Weah government complies fully with the ECOWAS Court’s ruling.

“For me, it’s a matter to do with full compliance with the judgment of the court; I have no choice in this matter but to work along with my lawyers to ensure the George Weah government fully complies with the ruling of the court which means basically, that I will be reinstated in my position as Associate Justice, as directed by the court, nothing less.”

Ja’neh noted that the issue was not about the money, but ensuring that the government understands there is a country called Liberia, which is governed by laws and those laws must be compliant, maintaining that not a dime will be taken until these orders by the court, including reinstatement are fully complied with.

Despite the regional body’s decision and Ja’neh’s outpour of anger, the Weah administration refused to obey the court’s order until they were booted out of the country’s leadership.

The Weah administration also refused to adhere to the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruling in 2019 in favor of Mrs. Nancy Bohn-Doe, widow and administrator of former President Samuel Doe’s estates, ordering the Government of Liberia to pay a total of US$18,130,778.09 that was held in various bank accounts by President Doe, along with accrued interests.

The decision was made in response to a suit filed by Mrs. Bohn-Doe in 2016, alleging violations of her property rights due to the government’s refusal to grant her access to her late husband’s accounts.

Mrs. Bohn-Doe’s counsel cited international human rights instruments to argue that denying her access to her husband’s accounts was a breach of her rights.

However, Weah’s administration, through its defense team, raised objections regarding the court’s jurisdiction and the plaintiff’s failure to exhaust local remedies before approaching the Court.

ECOWAS Court Justice Gberi-Be Ouattara, the Judge Rapporteur, dismissed the defense’s objections, ruling that the case was valid and dealt with rights violations. The Court also determined that the plaintiff was not required to exhaust local remedies before seeking redress and that the case was not time-barred, as the rights violation had persisted over the years while pending in the national courts.

Despite the regional court’s decision in this case, Weah and his officials refused to act per the ruling.

However, former President Weah’s letter to ECOWAS underscores a growing political divide in Liberia following recent elections and calls for a return to national reconciliation and respect for the rule of law. Weah urges ECOWAS to address the pressing issues raised in his letter and send a message to the Boakai Administration that political repression will not be tolerated.

The communication from Weah serves as a strong condemnation of alleged government actions and a plea for continued cooperation to ensure the country’s peace and stability amid escalating political tensions.