THE period 2002-2008, was characterised by the most frightening example of criminal violence to have been experienced in the modern history of this country. Referred to as the “troubles,” it will long be remembered as the time when bullet-riddled bodies were found daily around the city and its environs and massacres taking place. In addition to murderous drug wars and gangs, one led by a notorious drug lord who proclaimed by way of newspaper advertisements that he had been assisting the then government to combat the criminal siege.

With no official explanation being given by the powers of the day as to what was clearly perceived as the activity of an armed group, labelled the notorious “Phantom”, there are still many unanswered questions and grievous hurt, particularly for families that had lost fathers, sons, brothers, and other relatives to that epoch of carnage.
One does not need to be a social scientist to understand that the above scenario had been clearly one of a total breakdown of the State, so much so, that there was panic, anarchy, and a lost will on the part of the legitimate, designated protective force to defend society against the heavily armed killers.

Any state that is premised on the Rule of Law and which government understands that accountability is an enduring facet of governance, should endeavour to enquire as to the causes of such wanton violence on such a scale, if only to bring closure to the families of the victims.

Any executive owes such explanations for such a hellish period, not only to the families, — many of whom are still experiencing pain and harbouring vengeful feelings — but to the nation at large for the causes, and for those responsible to be brought to justice. This much is expected by the nation.

There are those, perhaps, not expecting the executive to carry through to its promise, have gone on the defensive, alleging that such Commissions of Inquiry, will only serve to divide the nation, apart from other inexplicable defences.

This can only come from those who, apart from being indifferent in relation to this matter of grave national import, never understood their national responsibilities. It has to be a government that did not care even about the death of one of its cabinet ministers, to have refused an offer from the Canadian government to assist in determining how that cabinet officer – a Canadian citizen — met his death, much less in seeking to criticise the President’s decision for a Commission Of Inquiry.

President David Granger is on record as saying “the killings, the troubles, the death squads, ministers using state letter heads to sign for people to get permission for equipment. That is what polarised this nation. The role of the government under President Jagdeo polarised this nation more than anything else in our history.”

The nation still bears the deep scars, suffering the pains, from the brutalities of such a phase. There can only be healing for those who have lost relatives to the murderous reign of this period, when these official processes have been completed, and those found responsible for inflicting such murderous damage, be made to face the full force of the law to answer for their acts. We will urge all Guyanese who have knowledge of what took place during this period to go to the hearings and say what they know. They have a duty to themselves, to the numerous families, and the nation to be truthful.