By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA, Liberia, August 13, 2026 — The Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia says comprehensive data is currently unavailable to determine the total number of victims of Liberia’s civil conflicts, highlighting a major documentation challenge as the country moves toward establishing the court.
Christopher Sellee, Associate Director for Media and Public Affairs at the Office, disclosed the information during a two-day media training organized by New Narratives to strengthen journalists’ understanding of international law, transitional justice and the proposed War and Economic Crimes Court.
Sellee said while victims and survivors of atrocities committed during Liberia’s years of conflict are known across the country, there is currently no comprehensive database documenting all of them.
The absence of such data could complicate efforts to identify victims and survivors, document their experiences and determine how they could participate in future accountability and transitional justice processes.
Sellee said he personally knows individuals who suffered during the conflicts but whose experiences have not been formally documented by the Office.
During the training, he also provided an update on efforts toward establishing the court, including engagements with lawmakers and international partners.
Survivors Still Carry Scars
Highlighting the continuing impact of Liberia’s conflicts, Sellee recounted the experience of a woman he met during a visit outside Monrovia.
According to him, the woman said she was shot in the abdomen during the war and continues to live with the physical and emotional consequences.
Sellee said the woman told him that the person she alleges committed the act still lives in the same community and that seeing the individual causes her emotional distress.
He cited the woman’s experience as an example of why the proposed court should be viewed as a mechanism for accountability and justice rather than revenge.
The case also underscores the challenge facing institutions seeking to document the experiences of potentially thousands of Liberians who suffered killings, displacement, sexual violence, torture and other abuses during the country’s years of conflict.
Survivors Demand Justice, Support
Despite the absence of a comprehensive official database, some survivors have organized themselves into groups, including the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association, to advocate for justice and assistance.
The group has called for psychosocial counseling and other forms of support for survivors who continue to experience trauma from the civil conflicts.
This newspaper previously interviewed Peterson Sonyah, head of the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association, who expressed frustration over delays in establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court and warned that continued failure to provide accountability could fuel anger among survivors.
His comments highlighted the depth of frustration among some victims, while underscoring the importance of peaceful, lawful accountability mechanisms in addressing unresolved wartime grievances.
The proposed War and Economic Crimes Court is expected to address serious crimes committed during Liberia’s conflicts, but its establishment remains dependent on the completion of the necessary legal and institutional processes.
