'Political Resistance Stalls Liberian Path to War Crimes Justice'
The Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court (OWEC) - the body tasked with creating a judicial framework to prosecute civil war perpetrators - has accused senior government officials of deliberately undermining its work.
OWEC Executive Director Jallah A. Barbu said the obstruction goes beyond mere bureaucracy: "What we are seeing is strong political will from the President, but it is being strangulated by individuals who may have participated in the war or are protecting those who could be held accountable."
The proposed court is designed to prosecute those responsible for atrocities committed during Liberia's civil wars between 1989 and 2003, a period that left an estimated 250,000 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. While a Truth and Reconciliation Commission previously recommended the court's establishment, implementation has faced decades of political resistance.
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Liberia:
War Crimes Court Body Accuses Senior Liberian Officials of Blocking Progress
Liberian Investigator, 22 April 2026
The body tasked with establishing Liberia's long-awaited War and Economic Crimes Court accused senior government officials Tuesday of deliberately blocking progress, naming the… Read more »
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Liberia:
Owecc-L Executive Director Urges National Reflection On Liberia's April Tragedies
New Dawn, 7 April 2026
Monrovia, Liberia, April 7, 2026 -- The Executive Director of the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia (OWECC-L), Dr. Jallah Barbu, is urging… Read more »
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Liberia:
Momentum On Accountability Must Lead to a Functioning War Crimes Court
HRW, 18 March 2026
This joint statement supported by the Advocates for Human Rights, Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia, Global Justice and Research Project, Center for Justice… Read more »
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Liberia:
'War Is Inevitable,' Says Ex-Rebel Commander 'Gen. Butt Naked' Amid Liberia-Guinea Border Tensions
Liberian Investigator, 13 March 2026
Former warlord-turned-evangelist Joshua Milton Blahyi has warned that Liberia could face another armed conflict if tensions along the Liberia-Guinea border escalate, urging the… Read more »
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Liberia:
Leading War Crimes Investigator's Office Attacked As Threats Against Witnesses, Investigators Escalate
FrontPageAfrica, 12 March 2026
Summary: Read more »
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Liberia:
Senator Konneh Warns Unresolved War Crimes Threaten Liberia's Fragile Peace
FrontPageAfrica, 26 February 2026
Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has warned that the country's fragile peace remains under serious threat as long as the country fails to address the unresolved burdens of war… Read more »
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Liberia:
Traditional Chiefs Endorse War and Economic Crimes Court
New Dawn, 12 February 2026
In a historic display of unity and resolve, traditional chiefs from across Liberia have formally endorsed the establishment of the long-awaited War and Economic Crimes Court. This… Read more »
InFocus
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Hopes of the establishment of the war crimes court in Liberia to prosecute perpetrators of the country's 14-year civil war are beginning to fade. The U.S. government, expected to provide substantial financial resources for the court's operations, has become less committed due to "shifting priorities in Washington".
Outgoing
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Liberians home and abroad have expressed excitement over President Joseph Boakai's decision to issue an executive order for the creation of an office of War and Economic Crimes in Liberia - a major step towards the actual establishment of a court to prosecute perpetrators of the country's civil war. "But evidence gathering might be the new battleground", writes Aaron Weah for Justice Info Net.
Weah argues that the Liberian society is now
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In a move seen as a significant department from his predecessors, President Joseph Boakai has issued an executive order to establish an Office of War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia. The president said the decision complies with Liberia's international obligations and the "will of the Liberian people" to obtain justice and bring closure to the events of the 14-year bloody civil war.
Both houses of the Legislature had previously
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President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of Liberia listens as President Donald Trump answers questions from the press during a multilateral luncheon with African leaders (file photo).
