[JURIST] Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) [UN Mission in Liberia news release, PDF] formally began its work Thursday to investigate and document human rights abuses occurring in Liberia from 1979 to 2003. The TRC was inaugurated [JURIST report] in February by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf [BBC profile], who said that the commission is intended to heal the war-torn country and uncover the truth about the 14-year-long Liberian civil war [Globalsecurity.org backgrounder].

The TRC has been criticized by human rights groups [JURIST report] who instead advocate a Liberian human rights court because the TRC cannot prosecute war crimes violations. The TRC was mandated by the 2003 Liberian peace accord [text] that officially ended the civil war. AP has more. The Analyst of Monrovia has local coverage.