Washington, D.C. - Mr. Speaker, after six years in power and over a decade as a regional warlord there are signs that Liberian President Charles Taylor, one of the worst violators of human rights in the world may be leaving power. On June 17, the Associated Press reported that the Liberian Defense Minister Daniel Chea committed Taylor to step down as part of a peace agreement with rebel groups fighting his government. Taylor's rule has been marked by human rights violations on a massive scale.
Currently Liberia is enmeshed in a vicious civil war. According to the Associated Press, ``The past three years of rebellion have uprooted more than 1.3 million Liberians, sending hundreds of thousands of them fleeing into neighboring countries.'' His rule has not only brought death and destruction to Liberia but undermined stability throughout West Africa. He sponsored the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, a rebel group which conducted a gruesome campaign of murders, rapes and kidnappings. The RUF became known for chopping off the arms, lips and hands of their victims. Taylor has supported rebel groups in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Burkina Faso as well.
Last week a U.N.-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone indicted Taylor accusing him of ``bearing the greatest responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international humanitarian law'' during Sierra Leone's civil war. As the brave men and women of our armed forces work to bring peace and stability to the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq it is important to point to other victims of human rights abuses in other parts of the world that do not receive as much media attention. The Bush administration has spoken about the importance of promoting human rights and democracy, but has done little to support the aspirations for freedom on the part of the Liberians despite Liberia's deep historical ties to the United States. We can and should do all that we can to support the peaceful removal from power of Charles Taylor and ensure that he faces the charges brought against him by the U.N.-backed court.