Former Foreign Minister and Dean of the Cabinet, Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, has called for justice, dialogue and stronger national institutions to protect Liberia's hard-won peace, warning that growing political tensions and declining public confidence in institutions could create conditions for instability if not addressed.
Kemayah made the call Monday, September 21, 2026, while delivering the Special Keynote Address at the First International Peace Summit 2026, held in observance of the International Day of Peace.
The summit, held under the theme, "Peace in a Fractured World: Restoring Dialogue, Justice and Confidence in Institutions," brought together diplomats, government officials, representatives of international organizations, civil society actors and other stakeholders.
The broader message of the summit was, "One World. One Humanity. One Future."
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Speaking to participants, Kemayah said Liberia's peace cannot be sustained by the absence of armed conflict alone, but requires institutions that command public confidence and mechanisms capable of resolving political and social disagreements peacefully.
He urged political leaders and citizens to place dialogue at the center of national affairs, warning against political rhetoric and actions that could deepen divisions or undermine confidence in the country's constitutional institutions.
Kemayah said Liberia's history of 14 years of civil conflict should remain a constant reminder of what can happen when institutions weaken, public trust collapses and political differences are no longer resolved through peaceful and constitutional means.
"Liberia knows the terrible cost of institutional collapse," Kemayah said, noting that the country has spent more than two decades rebuilding a fragile peace following the civil conflict.
According to him, lasting peace depends on three fundamental pillars: credible diplomacy, justice under the rule of law and institutions in which citizens can place their confidence.
He warned that peace becomes fragile when citizens believe laws are selectively applied, institutions serve particular interests or political power determines who receives justice.
"No individual should be above the law. But equally important, no individual should be denied the protection of the law," he said.
Addressing accountability, particularly during political transitions, Kemayah said former public officials should be held accountable where credible evidence of wrongdoing exists.
However, he stressed that investigations and prosecutions must be conducted transparently and impartially and must respect due process.
"Where credible evidence of wrongdoing exists, the law must take its course," Kemayah said. "But accountability must be evidence-based, transparent, impartial, and consistent with due process. Otherwise, prosecution can be persecution in disguise."
He cautioned that political competition could become increasingly dangerous if political actors begin to believe that losing an election could expose them to politically motivated legal processes.
"A functioning democracy must therefore reject two extremes: impunity on one side and political persecution on the other," he said. "The answer to impunity is credible justice; not selective justice and political witch-hunt."
Kemayah said concerns about the administration of justice and what he described as the politicization of accountability could contribute to growing mistrust between political actors and national institutions.
"When political persecution and witch-hunt seem to be the emerging trend, rather than resolve political disputes, and citizens begin to doubt the impartiality of national institutions, with selective justice; the foundations of peace may be dangerously vulnerable," he cautioned.
He said the consequences of growing mistrust could extend beyond political disagreements and affect Liberia's social stability and national security.
According to Kemayah, political mistrust could deepen divisions and make future elections more confrontational, while social frustration could push grievances away from institutional channels and onto the streets. He warned that demonstrations could potentially escalate into clashes and wider instability.
"In a post-conflict society, even isolated incidents can become dangerous when they occur in an atmosphere of deep mistrust," he said.
The former Foreign Minister stressed that instability does not necessarily begin with armed conflict, arguing that the erosion of public confidence in institutions can itself serve as an early warning sign.
"Conflict does not begin when a first gun is fired," he said. "It begins when trust dies, institutions lose credibility, political opponents become enemies, and citizens cease to believe that justice will protect them equally."
"We have paid too high a price for peace to gamble with it again," Kemayah added. "Liberia must act before political tension becomes political crisis and before political crisis becomes national instability. We have traveled this road before. We know where it can lead."
He also urged political leaders to exercise restraint and avoid rhetoric capable of further dividing the country.
Political opponents, he said, should not automatically be regarded as enemies of the state, arguing that government and opposition can disagree strongly while remaining participants within Liberia's constitutional order.
"A healthy democracy requires a government to be capable of tolerating criticism and opposition, capable of challenging government within constitutional boundaries," he said.
Kemayah also called for stronger support for the judiciary, describing courts as more than institutions responsible for interpreting and enforcing the law.
"We often think of courts primarily as institutions of law. But courts are also institutions of peace," he said.
He explained that courts provide an orderly alternative to confrontation by allowing political, constitutional and electoral disputes to be resolved through legal processes rather than through street confrontations.
He therefore called for greater investment in the judiciary and other independent institutions, including electoral bodies, legislatures and public accountability institutions.
Beyond Liberia, Kemayah urged the international community to strengthen confidence in international institutions by promoting greater consistency, transparency and respect for international law.
"The international system cannot effectively advocate for the rule of law domestically, while appearing inconsistent in its application internationally," he said.
He argued that smaller states, developing countries and vulnerable populations must have confidence that international law protects them as meaningfully as it protects powerful states.
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"The answer is not to weaken international institutions," Kemayah said. "The answer is to strengthen their credibility through greater consistency, transparency, representation, and respect for international laws."
To help prevent future crises, Kemayah called for stronger preventive diplomacy, effective early-warning systems, standing mediation mechanisms, protection of independent institutions, consistent application of the rule of law and sustained dialogue among political adversaries.
He also urged the media to play a responsible role by providing citizens with facts rather than contributing to political divisions.
Concluding his address, Kemayah said peace should not be treated as an achievement that can simply be taken for granted, but as an ongoing national responsibility requiring the participation of political leaders, institutions and citizens.
"The pursuit of peace is not an event. It is a continuous responsibility," he said.
"Our challenge, therefore, is not simply to end the wars already underway. Our greater responsibility is to build national and international systems, capable of preventing the next conflict."
Kemayah urged Liberians to choose dialogue over confrontation, diplomacy over escalation, justice over vengeance and institutions over personalities.
"Lasting peace cannot be imposed by force alone," he concluded. "It must be built through trust, protected by justice, sustained through dialogue, and anchored in institutions that command the confidence of the people they serve."
