- As they present 9 counts resolution to government, political parties and partners
G Bennie Bravo Johnson.
On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, a fourteen-day fast and prayers for the regeneration of Liberia and the maintenance of peace in the country and the sub-region culminated in the Liberia women’s mass action for peace under the banner WIPNET presenting a resolution.
The 14-day fast and prayers, which brought together women of Muslim and Christian faiths, were held at the women’s prayer hub for peaceful initiative, invincible sports, and with collective efforts, the women began a fourteen-day fast and praying under the theme “Let’s maintain the peace” on May 27.
Hon. Asatu Bai Kanneh, who provided the program’s backdrop, thanked God for the women who participated. She explained that the women’s mass action for peace began in 2003, when a group of women met in the fish market to deliver a petition to the government, various warring factions, and the international community, urging them to stop the fourteen-year civil turmoil.
She went on to say that it took the Liberian women eight months of fasting and praying to petition God because there were several early warning signs of war drums of hate, tribalism, corruption, and discrimination that caused civil unrest in the country; asserting that these signs are once again creeping into the country, claiming the attention of the Liberian women’s mass action for peace.
At the same time, she praised the women for the many levels of prayer they delivered, claiming that their efforts had brought the two holy traditions closer together because Muslim and Christian women share no barriers.
Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, for her part, cited widespread sexual and gender-based violence, as well as domestic violence, as early warning signs, as well as tribal and land conflicts, militarization of political parties, and the killing and disappearance of citizens; and the widespread use of drugs and narcotic substances as factors that could trigger violence and the outbreak of war at any time.
As a result, all state players are being urged to act responsibly in resolving the issues, as they are potential war-starters.
Simultaneously, they thanked God for resolving the unity party problem at the NEC and the dismissal of Cummings’ charges, describing it as an immediate answer to their prayers.
Meanwhile, Amb. Claire Buckley, the Irish ambassador to Liberia, praised the women’s efforts, saying that it is never too early to hear the sounds of warning and organize such a great initiative to keep the peace.
At the same time, the UNDP representative in Liberia, Hon. Stephen Rodriques, praised the women and pledged his support to continue standing with them, stating that he has witnessed women’s power. “I have witnessed the power of women in the past and present, and I will always support women.”
He went on to urge all Liberians to uphold the hard-won peace, saying, “You can never be too late in acting for peace, but you can never be too early in acting for peace.” As a result, all Liberians are urged to act immediately to address the early warning symptoms.
Simultaneously, the women, in their quest for peace and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women’s peace and security, have presented a nine-point resolution to the Liberian government, political parties, and civil society, calling for the preservation of the peace Liberians enjoy today.
Miss. Susan F. Wleh read the resolution and stated, “The resolution specifies that:
Liberia is a country in transition, with a slew of issues stemming from 14 years of civil war and revolt. It might easily erupt due to a lack of connectivity in the country.
Whereas the Liberian Women’s Mass Action for Peace has realized that the early warning indicators of conflict in Liberia and the surrounding region are quite powerful,
Whereas, these specific Early Warning Signs of Conflict that are currently appearing in the country are causing security worries among the general people; such issues as citizen deaths and disappearances around the country: Tribal and land disputes; Political parties becoming militarized; Gender and sexual violence are on the rise; Increases in the price of essential commodities and stockpiling on the Liberian market.
Recognizing that Article 8 of the Liberian Constitution states that “parties or organizations that retain, organize, train, or equip any person or group of persons for the use or display of physical force or coercion in the furtherance of any political objective or interest, trained or equipped, shall be denied registration, or if registered, shall have their registration revoked”;
I am aware that the United Nations Security Council enacted Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, affirming the critical role of women in conflict prevention and resolution, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and post-conflict reconstruction.
The resolution goes on to list the Liberian Women’s Mass Action for Peace’s nine resolutions, which are as follows: Urges the Liberian government, which is responsible for the state’s peace and stability, as well as the security of its residents, to guarantee that issues of early warning are addressed immediately; Calls on all political parties and politicians to conduct all political activities and processes in a nonviolent and objective manner; “All political parties must demilitarize their respective institutions. The National Elections Commission is urged to closely monitor and enforce all parts of Liberia’s election laws; appeals to all Liberians and international allies in Liberia and the ECOWAS sub-region to help us in safeguarding the peace and stability that we have enjoyed for the past eighteen years. Urges the Ministry of Justice to investigate and report on the killings and disappearances of civilians around the country as soon as possible; calls on the Liberian government to immediately engage all parties involved in tribal and land conflicts and fix the issues that are creating them; urges on all institutions with supervision responsibilities over the sale of commodities in Liberia, particularly the Ministry of Commerce, to stop merchants and marketers from stockpiling and inflating the price of basic goods on the market, and urges the access to justice system to arrest those deemed to have probable cause as soon as possible and to adjudicate accused offenders of sexual and gender-based violence legislation, including rape, in a timely manner.
