A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

okered peace accords, 195 disarmament, safeguarding aid supplies, sheltering troops, 196 helping
supervise the 1997 elections, 197 and promoting security by helping to rebuild Liberia’s military, police,
and security forces. 198
The regional forces successfully repelled the NPFL invasion. 199 Nevertheless, political undercurrents
and inadequate planning, logistics, and lack of equipment hindered ECOMOG’s initial efficacy. 200
Preexisting regional political tensions led to division among ECOWAS members. 201 With the exception
of Guinea, the Francophone nations (led by Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso) supported Taylor and
objected to the intervention; the Anglophone countries, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ghana,
supported the intervention. 202 Logistical factors, including inadequate force levels, the lack of a
Monrovia-based ECOWAS official to facilitate political negotiations, and inconsistent interpretations
of the mandate, reduced ECOMOG’s effectiveness. 203 Finally, many sources point to concerns about
ECOMOG’s conduct and neutrality. There were reports of widespread looting by ECOMOG soldiers,
alleged sales of weaponry by Nigerians to armed groups, and concerns about Nigeria’s support for the
Liberia Peace Council (LPC). 204 Its deficiencies were quickly evidenced by its failure to prevent the
assassination of President Doe by INPFL forces less than two weeks after its arrival.
Many statement givers, however, described how ECOMOG saved their lives, prevented further
human rights abuses, or helped them escape Liberia. 205 Statements also attributed the presence or
imminent arrival of ECOMOG forces to lives saved. In numerous cases, statement givers reported
how rebel fighters would stop terrorizing them and disperse upon hearing about the impending arrival
of ECOMOG troops. One statement giver’s description was typical:
Through the intervention of the Almighty God, some ECOMOG soldiers
of the multinational peacekeeping force came from the Vai Town area and
rescued us when the rebels fled from my area. [The rebels] left us when they
got to know that some ECOMOG soldiers were coming to our rescue. 206
In this way, the presence of ECOMOG played an important role in preventing rebels from committing
further human rights violations and humanitarian crimes. Statement givers described how they would
call or alert ECOMOG to attacks, prompting them to respond. 207 In addition, ECOMOG frequently
provided safe haven at their base for Liberians. Statement givers reported staying on the ECOMOG
base for periods of a few days up to two weeks. 208
In addition to playing an enforcement role, ECOMOG at times assisted with the health and other
basic needs of Liberians. Statement givers reported how ECOMOG soldiers often carried them to
the hospital 209 or to their base for medical treatment. 210 ECOMOG soldiers gave civilians food, 211
sometimes in exchange for work. 212 ECOMOG also sent ex-combatants to St. Mary’s Catholic School
in Duala, Liberia to be reintegrated. 213
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