Comment on the COCUBOMB Petition

I just read the Petition Statement by the " Coalition of Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back (COCUBOMB), a mass-based umbrella pro-democracy and pro-advocacy organization consisting of over 26 civil society organizations, youth/student groups and trade unions.." in Liberia: Text Of Statement Delivered By Protesters Delivered To Int’l Community, WEST AFRICAN JOURNAL MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018.

Over the weekend, there was the typical reactionary anxiety over the planned Monday protests over the missing billions, a story that Front Page courageously broke and investigated. The hashtag #BringBackOurMoney has been gaining currency and, in fact, a coalition was assembled with the name. These planned protests warned that all businesses should remain closed. The US Embassy issued a note, informing its employees to be careful and avoid the areas where the people would would be marching. 

I get surprised every time when even long-time residents get a little wary of what might happen when people take to the streets in Monrovia. It tells me there is very little trust in security. 

Since this story has broken out, the regime has performed a combination of back peddling, self contradiction and confusion. 

Front Page is one of the main news outlets in Monrovia and, as such has done crucial work in throwing the spotlight on an apparent financial scandals, one of the first major shake ups for the new Weah administration. Liberian journalism has done its job and, we can trust Front Page to keep this issue on the front burner. 

However, while I applaud this organised group of civil society actors who want to bring the government to task, I would like to ask where is the opposition's voice?  

Let's move to the Petition itself which is very disappointing:

1. This Coalition is asking the international community to "launch an immediate independent international forensic investigation into this missing L$16 billion saga." Who do they exactly mean by international community? Any UN agency in particular now that UNMIL has departed since March? The World Bank? The United States Government? The IMF?

Let's not forget Liberia is a sovereign state and, the international community cannot just launch an inquiry.  With with legal instrument can this idea of international community start interfering in Liberia's state affairs? Apparently, this Coalition consists of pro-democracy organisations. This request itself is anti-democratic. 

Protestors need to purse democratic channels in seeking information and answers. The media has done its part in exposing the outline of a corruption scandal. Support and strengthen independent media. Write and push the opposition in doing their job. It is this type of moment, where politics comes into play. Where is the elected political class that needs to use the structures and mechanisms to seek answers? 

It is good enough that civil society groups are coming to the streets but they cannot ask the so-called international community to investigate their government. On which grounds and through which channel?

This tells us that the Liberian public only sees the Liberian state in relation to the "international community," donors, foreign governments, aid agencies and, whatever else constitutes foreign powers.

This motley crew calls itself an umbrella group of pro-democracy organisations. They need to understand the functions and mechanisms of democracy and, the specifics of their own democracy. They display no knowledge. 

2. The group is asking the world to " withhold all direct support (in terms of financial and non-financial aid) to our government until it can fully account and restitute this stolen L$16 billion. All those linked in this horrific economic plunder and mass looting against the State and its people must be prosecuted and made to fully restitute such amount. "

Again, through which authority can they  make this demand? Do they represent all peoples who may be 'beneficiaries' of various development projects (notwithstanding all the criticisms of what actual impact such projects have) that are being implemented in this country? The so-called partners of this government have bi-lateral agreements and, some donors have been active in Liberia since the war ended in 2003. This post-war state was literally resuscitated with a 2003 Accra Peace Agreement and, (yes, we can use the notion of international community here) the international community helped to set up the state by bringing in a Transitional Government (made up of many of the signatories to the Peace Agreement), holding elections, pumping funds in budgetary assistance, aid, etc. Liberia has more or less been propped up by international assistance. Even now, Liberia receives direct budgetary support. The Liberian state is still fragile and, unfortunately, all the major sectors such as education, health care, and infrastructure are in dire conditions. Moreover, the economy has whimpered to a halt after a shaky take off with awards of concessions to foreign interests to exploit natural resources and revive the pre-war extractive industry. Historically, this request is unreasonable. It practically would achieve nothing, if not disaster. 

Liberian civil society should be instead asking for the impact and value of aid that it has received over the years from its own state and political players. 

Yes, the international community has power and, power needs to be addressed, questioned and sought for help. But the civil society's Petition seems to be mixing up the role of the international community in delivering answers to the Liberian state's long-standing problem of corruption. Corruption is a political issue and, has to have a political solution. Where are the political parties? Where is the opposition that has to take the government to task? 

3. The group is asking this nebulous international community to "prevail upon the Weah-led government to immediately release the internal investigative report of the Central Bank of Liberia that former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf referenced in her latest interview on BCC." Again, through which channel should this group be asking for this report? How can they reference a BBC interview? 

4. The Petition calls for an audit of all financial transactions under both Sirleaf and Weah's regimes. How can the international community audit the government? By which authority and understanding ? 

5. The Petition asks the international community look into the mansions that George Weah has started building since he got elected as President. No comment here. 

The Petition goes on and on and, makes requests which don't signal any understanding of the international community or how international affairs are conducted. These are unrealistic demands which do not demonstrate any sense of an actual organised political movement. Even the name of the umbrella organisation is bad.

By asking foreign powers and/or international community to audit their government, stop aid, etc, says Liberia has become a failed state and should be handed over to a guardian/caretaker regime managed by international accountants.

This Petition has no historical or long - term sense or view. There is no strategy here in raising a voice against corruption. There is no commitment to using democratic channels and institutions. Asking the international community to 1) halt all aid 2) audit the previous Sirleaf government and the barely-8-month Weah regimes 3) prevail upon the Weah government to release reports etc is a poor attempt at showcasing a strong and organised civil society. Even the language is amiss.

There is even a request to institute a War and Economic Crimes Court. This is a fair demand but what is a War and Economic Crimes Court? I am confused with the addition of Economic Crimes to normally understood as a War Crimes tribunal or court. And, what does it have to do with the immediate issue of the 'container scandal'?

Politics in Liberia remains disorganised and, populist in nature. The left is hardly organised. The right wing is represented by the populist, corrupt and capitalist patterns and tendencies of the post-war regime under Sirleaf. The country was siphoned off to foreign companies for exploitation of Liberia's rich natural resources at break-neck speeds and, no other economic model was pursued in Sirleaf's era. A small elite of the old, the new, the repats and all the lucky ones with the blessings of the international community has been ruling Liberia since 2003.

The demand for a war crimes court has never died down. But would it ever get the momentum and support it needs?

Civil society can and has bent states in the quest for justice. But this Petition does not seem to have an understanding of how things actually work in Liberia. It's neither strategic nor very realistic nor very well written.