CSOs Want Liberia's War and Economic Crimes Court Bill Swiftly Enacted

‎Monrovia, Liberia: Several civil society organizations are pressing the Boakai-Koung administration to take urgent steps in establishing the long-awaited War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) in Liberia.

By: Contributing Writer, Melvin Vakum

The organizations, including the Liberia Massacre Survivor Association, the People Uniting for Peace and like-minded groups, want the government to swiftly act in passing draft legislations for the establishment of the courts.

However, bills for the establishment of these courts remain under scrutiny before the Legislature.

It can be recalled that mid-2026, the office of the WECC-Liberia presented its draft legislations to President Joseph Boakai, which outlined the roadmap for the courts' operations.

The proposed legislations included "An Act establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) and An Act establishing a National Anti-Corruption Court (NACC)".

The draft bills have since been forwarded by President Boakai to the Legislature for concurrence.

Meanwhile, the civil society organizations warned that true reconciliation cannot be fostered without victims of Liberia's brutal civil war acquiring justice.

Speaking Friday, September 11, at a major news conference in Paynesville, the Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Massacre Survivor Association, Peterson Sonyah, stressed that establishing the courts would strengthen the justice system in Liberia.

Sonyah believes crimes committed during the 14-year civil unrest in Liberia have not been accounted for. According to him, that has signalled a culture of impunity in the Liberian society and has given rise to human rights violations.

"Things this court can bring to Liberia. It is going to bring justice, it is to bring healing, it's going to bring peace and unity to the entire country", the Liberia Massacre Survivor Association chief said.

Also speaking, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the People Uniting for Peace, Adolphus Capehart, noted that activating the WECC will serve as a conduit for sustained peace and reconciliation.

He said the process should be embraced as a means of supporting national healing, constitutional governance, accountability, and protection for future generations.

‎Capehart is also calling for the passage of bills for the establishment of the specialized National Anti-Corruption Court.

He wants the Executive and the Legislature to coordinate in finalizing the instrument, saying it would enhance the country's capacity to prosecute major corruption and economic crimes through a specialized court.

‎"Liberia stands at a critical moment in its democratic history. The question of justice and accountability can no longer remain an issue of political discussion without decisive institutional action," the civil rights advocate added.

Calls for the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes have been a long-standing wish for many citizens, especially those who were affected by the civil crisis.

Liberia's 14-year brutal civil crisis which spanned from 1989 to 2003, claimed approximately 250,000 lives.

The war was said to have been caused by deep-rooted ethnic tensions, alleged widespread government corruption, and a violent military coup in 1980 that ended decades of political dominance by Americo-Liberians.

Since post-war Liberia, successive governments have vowed to create an avenue for alleged perpetrators to account for their actions.

Now, calls continue to heighten under the current administration of President Joseph Boakai which fought to set up an office for the establishment of the courts, but draft legislations to activate them remain stalled.