TRC Executive Director Inducted Into Office
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia on March 29 inducted into office its Executive Director, Mr. Nathaniel T. Kwabo. The ceremony was witnessed by the Nigerian Ambassador Enije Onobu, who is also co-chair of the International Contact Group on Liberia, in addition to representatives from UNMIL, ECOWAS, the EU, the US Embassy and civil society.
In his induction statement, TRC chairman Cllr. Jerome Verdier talked about Mr. Kwabo assuming office at a time when the TRC is faced with serious resource challenges but at the same time is receiving demonstrated support from the Government of Liberia and the the International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL). "So vital is the support of the ICGL that it is currently working on a daily basis with the TRC through the institutional mechanism of the TRC Working Group," he stated. The Working Group, a body of professionals and technicians of diverse experience drawn from the TRC and the ICGL, started to advise the TRC this month. It assists the TRC to streamline its programs and mobilize donor support.
The executive director, Mr. Nathaniel Kwabo said in his induction speech that "the TRC process must not be noted as a symbolic enterprise introduced in the Liberian peace process to satisfy conditions of political settlement following the war. It is more than that; it is the central element in the democratization process, elucidates our past and paves the way to instituting reforms necessary for sustainable peace and the prevention of similar abuses and violence in the future."
The newly appointed executive director of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission holds a graduate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from American University in Washington, DC, an M.A. in International Relations and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Liberia. Before joining the TRC, Mr. Kwabo served as the executive director of the Liberian Democracy Watch; he also served as the program director of a community outreach program in Washington, DC.
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