Liberia’s Government Sets Course to Establish War Crimes Tribunal

Monrovia — Despite the fact that the past two post-war governments failed to establish a war and economic crimes court as key suspects pass away, Liberia’s newly elected government is determined to set up the tribunal – no matter the cost.

Barely six months after his election, and staying true to his campaign promise to establish the court, Liberia’s President Joseph Nyuma Boakai endorsed a majority legislative vote in August 2024 to set up the long-awaited tribunal.

Decision welcomed

Since then, the international community, including France, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and the United States, whose courts have already tried and sentenced some Liberian war criminals, has welcomed the decision to establish the court, as has the United Nations.

Meanwhile, President Boakai and Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, are engaged in a continuous diplomatic effort worldwide to seek support for the court, which will prosecute those most responsible for gross human rights violations during the country’s two civil wars, which lasted 14 years and ended in 2003.

The conflict resulted in an estimated 250,000 deaths, countless amputations, and widespread rape of girls and women, alongside a looming ethnic crisis and immeasurable destruction of both private and public infrastructure.

The court will also prosecute those accused of plundering the country’s financial and mineral resources, primarily diamonds, over the years. Around 50 suspects, including women – nearly half of whom are living abroad – are expected to stand trial, according to a former official from the Ministry of Justice, who spoke to this reporter on the condition of anonymity.

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Many governments, international organisations, and stakeholders are responding to the Liberian government’s appeal to establish the court, whose final verdict is expected to serve not only as a deterrent to war crimes and impunity, but also to promote peace, reconciliation, and reconstruction.

Funding needed

Although a date for the court’s establishment has not yet been set, an unofficial estimate suggests that around one hundred million dollars will be required to set up and operate the court.

Meanwhile, the government has provided a secretariat for the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) and appointed Jarla Barbu, former Dean of the Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, as teh courts executive director.

Recent media reports quoted Counselor Barbu as saying that, although the secretariat still needs to be staffed and equipped, he remains optimistic that the court will be established, regardless of the challenges.

Before Barbu’s appointment, widespread opposition from human rights defenders had led President Boakai to remove Lewis Brown, a prominent Liberian, from the position due to his alleged involvement with the war.

“Lewis Brown is no stranger to the civil war in Liberia,” said T. Dempster Brown, Chairman of Liberia’s Independent Human Rights Commission, joining a growing chorus of critics.

T. Dempster Brown alleged that Lewis Brown’s role as national security adviser to Charles Taylor during the war clearly outlined his involvement in advising and facilitating actions that led to numerous civilian casualties, as well as his participation in economic transactions during that period.

Other Liberian human rights advocates, including Tennen Tehoungue, a Liberian PhD candidate in universal jurisdiction at Dublin City University in Ireland, echoed Dempster’s views.

However, T. Dempster Brown and his colleagues readily accepted President Boakai’s new appointment of Barbu.

UN support

Last November, when Nicola Clase, Sweden’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Fund, visited Liberia to advance dialogue on the country’s peacebuilding priorities, assess progress, and explore strategies for addressing emerging challenges in sustaining peace, she reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting the Court.

“Liberia is at a critical juncture in its peacebuilding journey. The support of the international community has been instrumental, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration to sustain peace and build a prosperous future for all Liberians,” Liberia’s foreign minister, Nyanti, told the visiting Swedish diplomat.

Funeral of former Liberian warlord Prince Johnson reopens wounds of civil war

She emphasised the need for global support in addressing Liberia’s peacebuilding priorities, particularly in areas such as transitional justice, youth empowerment, and social cohesion.

“We call on our international partners to stand with Liberia as we navigate this crucial phase in our nation’s history. Together, we can ensure that the sacrifices of our people lead to lasting peace and prosperity,” Nyanti concluded.

Clase, for her part, expressed optimism about Liberia’s progress and reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting the country’s peacebuilding agenda.

“Our visit is an opportunity to engage with Liberia’s leadership and stakeholders, assess ongoing projects, and identify ways to further strengthen peacebuilding efforts. I commend the Liberian government’s dedication to peace,” Clase said.

Warlord’s death

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Shortly after Clase’s departure, Senator Prince Y. Johnson passed away. He was second-in-command to the imprisoned Charles Taylor and one of the notorious former warlords who captured and tortured to death the then-sitting president, Samuel Doe.

The former warlord, who later became a pastor and founded a church, is widely believed to be among the key suspects responsible for some of the most egregious human rights violations during the war.

Senator Johnson was a signatory to the legislative vote in favour of establishing the Court.

“I am not afraid of the War Crimes Court…they are using the court to intimidate me. Is it me you think you can intimidate?” he said.

“Why don’t you bring it now? Bring it! You can’t fool an old woman with what you have,” he shouted after casting his vote.

Earlier, Senator Johnson had threatened the civil society-backed TRC, which had listed him as a key war crimes suspect, warning that Liberia would return to war if the Commission insisted on summoning him to testify at its public hearings.

Similarly, former President Sirleaf, whom the TRC had imposed a 25-year ban on engaging in national politics due to her alleged role in fuelling the war, dismissed the Commission’s decision.

In its statement, the TRC described the actions of the two leaders as “a threat to peace and democracy and a further entrenchment of impunity, as war victims and survivors continue to hope in vain for justice.”

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