Madam Caroline Da Silva Sousa, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
The United Nations has renewed its call for justice and accountability in Liberia, emphasizing that memorialization and truth-telling remain essential steps toward national healing and lasting peace. At the dedication of a US$31,000 memorial in Gbonyea Town, Bong County, honoring more than 500 victims of the 1994 massacre, Caroline Da Silva Sousa, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting Liberia’s transitional justice process, including the long-awaited War and Economic Crimes Court. “Remembering and acknowledging past human rights violations is essential for truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence,” Sousa said. “This memorial honors the victims, including women and children, and ensures that what happened here will never be forgotten.”
She noted that the massacre occurred on December 10, 1994 Human Rights Day, turning what should have been a global celebration of human dignity into one of the darkest chapters in Liberia’s history. “Instead of celebrating human rights that day, Gbonyea suffered immense loss,” she lamented. Sousa stressed that memorialization is not merely symbolic but a critical part of rebuilding trust between citizens and the state. “The United Nations will continue to stand with victims, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, the government, and civil society in advancing a victim-centered and holistic justice process,” she said. “The War and Economic Crimes Court must be a key part of that journey.”
The memorial, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), is one of several initiatives under the UN’s transitional justice program in Liberia. UNDP’s Country Office said the project aims to support “inclusive remembrance and local ownership of justice,” ensuring that communities most affected by the war become active participants in preserving memory and demanding accountability. Speaking at the occasion, Cllr. Fredrick L.M. Gbemie, Director for Operations at the Office for the Establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia, described the monument as “justice in motion.”
“This memorial is not just a structure it is a sacred space,” Gbemie said. “It stands as a public declaration that the lives lost here matter. Their stories will not be erased, and their dignity will not be buried beneath the silence of impunity.” He reaffirmed the Liberian government’s commitment to establishing the court, announcing that by November 2027, it will be “fully established and operational.” Cllr. Dempster Brown, Chairperson of the INCHR, said the event represented more than remembrance it was a call to action. “The TRC made it clear: those who committed crimes against the state and humanity must be punished,” Brown declared.
He accused some lawmakers of blocking justice due to their alleged roles in wartime atrocities. “We made a mistake by electing people who killed our citizens into the Legislature, but they will not succeed in stopping justice,” he said. Brown revealed that over 334 mass graves have been documented nationwide, including 96 newly identified and 11 massacre sites in the southeastern region alone. Representatives of Gbonyea’s elders, women, and youth, alongside Bong County Administrative Officer Sam Elliott, expressed gratitude to the UNDP, INCHR, and partners for honoring their loved ones. They pledged to protect the memorial, describing it as both a symbol of loss and a beacon of hope in the fight against impunity.
“This site will remind us of our pain,” one elder said, “but also of the world’s promise that justice will come.” At the end of the ceremony, Brown officially handed the memorial to Gbonyea’s elders, urging them to preserve it as a place of reflection and respect. “This memorial should be a sacred space for healing,” he said. “Let it stand as a testament to resilience, not sorrow.”
Author: Cooper Sangar
