US Representative Dan Donovan, popular for his call for war crimes court in Liberia has lost re-election in New York’s 11th congressional district With 100% of the vote counted so far. Donovan lost to Democratic Opponent Max Rose.
Max Rose won the polls with 52.8% (95,458) votes ahead of Donovan with 46.8% (84,665)votes.
It is not clear what a lost to Donovan will do to his bill currently on the floor of the US Congress but this could be a huge setback for advocates for War crime court in Liberia.
Representative Dan Donovan (R-NY) last week send a letter to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which he highlighted Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson as one of the fundamental reasons Liberia should consider establishing a War Crime Tribunal.
In a letter to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Donovan asked what their respective departments can do to further encourage Liberia to establish a war crimes tribunal.
Donovan’s letter came after Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley’s comments which reportedly suggested a referendum be used to determine the establishment of a war crimes tribunal.
In September, Donovan introduced his resolution on Liberia calling for a war crime tribunal for Liberia. Last month, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed Donovan’s resolution. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), who co-sponsored the resolution, also applauded Congressman Donovan’s leadership.
He stated, “Liberia and Liberian-Americans have no greater friend, I would say, than our good friend Dan Donovan.”
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary Mattis and Secretary Pompeo,
New York’s 11th Congressional District is home to the largest Liberian population in the world outside of Liberia. With a vibrant presence in the Clifton section of Staten Island, I have seen their contributions for many years. They are a hardworking and family-oriented community who have made themselves an integral part of the district.
As you know, from 1991 to 2002, civil war devastated Liberia and Sierra Leone. The violence took the lives of over 200,000 people, displaced over 1,000,000 persons, and saw horrific cases of murder, amputation, mass rape, and other human rights abuses. The heinous crimes that occurred during this time are unspeakable, yet many of the perpetrators hold positions in Liberia’s government. With the presence of Senator Prince Y. Johnson and others, we are seeing Liberia’s slow creep backwards towards the murderous mayhem of its civil war era.
Liberians are rightfully clamoring for justice. The last thing we want to see is the cycle of violence start yet again. I fear that is exactly what will happen should the perpetrators of vicious crimes be allowed to escape responsibility. To this end, I have introduced H. Res. 1055 in the House of Representatives, which calls upon Liberia to establish a war crimes tribunal. This effort has already been followed by responses from Liberian government officials. Liberian Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Findley earlier this month reportedly suggested a referendum to establish a war crimes tribunal.
Unfortunately, this vague statement from Minister Findley falls short of genuine and robust commitment to establishing a war crimes tribunal.
To that end, what more can the Department of Defense and Department of State do to encourage Monrovia to establish a war crimes tribunal? And how else can myself and my colleagues in Congress assist in this effort? I look forward to your expeditious responses.
Don’t get too excited. The bill, H.Res.1055, actually has EIGHT CO-SPONSORS:
*Rep. Johnson, Henry C. “Hank,” Jr. [D-GA-4]
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-8]
Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-30]
Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37]
Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]
Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-4]
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2
So without Donovan, it is still a possibility.
The breaking news story of Dan Donovan in no way indicates that resolution 1055 is dead.
The insinuation and illogical analysis by many of his sympathizer speaks volumes and exposed the limitations of how ignorance many of them are on the relevance of a news story.
Dan Donovan is a newsmaker, popular for his advocacy for war crimes tribunal in Liberia influenced by his presence in Congress.
His defeat is a newsworthy article whether in the 11th congressional district or Liberia and by reporting it, The Monrovia Times in no way insinuate that the quest for justice or the calls for war crimes court is dead.
The Monrovia Times supports the call for War crimes courts in Liberia and stands for justice for the victims.
Why it’s true that people like news to favor them, many of you should wake up from your slumber and know that not everything will go the way you expect it.
So because the news is disappointing to you, we shouldn’t report it?