Accountability and justice in post-conflict Liberia

Abstract

Within the human rights sector, suggestions are made that one way in which a post-conflict society can build durable peace is by making sure that ‘those who bear the greatest responsibility’ are held to account. This perspective is more forcefully captured within the ‘transitional justice’ paradigm, which though a relatively new sub-set is a dominant trend in prevailing human rights discourse. Another new industry along this trajectory is the peacebuilding and development paradigm which posits that building a culture of peace can only be entrenched once issues related to the material improvement in the lived conditions of the broader population are taken aboard and addressed adequately. This article will seek to examine the post-conflict accountability and justice mechanisms in Liberia through transitional justice, peacebuilding and development frameworks. Also, the article will capture Liberia's history, especially the conduct of the war years, contemporary Liberian politics, and...