By Our Reporter | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has called on the ruling Unity Party (UP) and the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) to stop politicizing Liberia’s escalating drug crisis following the Government of Liberia’s seizure of approximately 3,971 kilograms of suspected cocaine valued at an estimated US$317.68 million.
In a statement titled “Why the UP and CDC Must Stop Playing Politics with Our Nation’s Survival,” Konneh warned that turning the country’s anti-drug campaign into a partisan contest risks undermining justice, weakening public confidence in law enforcement, and diverting attention from the critical questions surrounding how such a massive quantity of suspected cocaine entered Liberia.
The senator argued that the illegal drug trade should not become another issue for political point scoring ahead of the 2029 elections but instead be treated as a national emergency requiring bipartisan cooperation.
“The illegal drug trade in Liberia is more than just a topic for political campaigns three years down the line. It’s a matter of life and death for our youth and our future,” Konneh wrote.
He said the ongoing exchanges between the ruling Unity Party and the CDC over recent major cocaine seizures resemble “a football match where the score is our country’s security at stake.”
According to Konneh, politicizing Liberia’s anti-drug campaign shifts attention away from the more pressing questions surrounding the origin of the narcotics and those responsible for facilitating their entry into the country.
“Politicizing Liberia’s drug war by the UP and CDC only hampers justice by shifting focus away from how large quantities of cocaine entered our borders,” Konneh stated. “It erodes public trust in law enforcement and delays justice.”
His comments come amid heightened political tensions following the Government of Liberia’s announcement of one of the country’s largest anti-narcotics operations. The Ministry of Justice disclosed that security forces recovered approximately 3,971 kilograms of suspected cocaine during a court authorized operation in Duazon, Margibi County, with the suspected narcotics carrying an estimated street value of US$317.68 million.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh has also announced that preliminary investigations suggest a sophisticated transnational drug trafficking network may have been operating in Liberia for more than six years.
Konneh stressed that the national conversation should focus less on partisan accusations and more on uncovering the criminal network behind the alleged trafficking operation.
“What we all need to be talking about is this: it’s clear that foreigners are involved in smuggling illegal narcotics into Liberia with the protection and collusion of powerful local interests,” he said.
He called for a transparent investigation to determine the source of the suspected cocaine, how it entered Liberia, and who among Liberian collaborators may have enabled the alleged trafficking network.
Instead of exchanging political accusations, Konneh urged both the UP and CDC to work together in demanding accountability and strengthening Liberia’s response to organized crime.
“To put Liberia and its youth front and center, both parties must acknowledge this as a national emergency. Treating it as a political game is unacceptable,” he said. “Our nation can’t afford to become a haven for drug lords and widespread substance abuse.”
The senator further warned that public confidence in Liberia’s criminal justice system could be weakened if major narcotics cases continue to be viewed through a partisan political lens.
“Every time a drug bust is dismissed as ‘selective justice’ or a ‘cover up,’ the trust in police and courts among ordinary citizens takes a hit,” he noted.
Konneh cautioned that drug trafficking organizations stand to benefit if political leaders continue treating the country’s anti-drug campaign as another political battleground instead of a shared national responsibility.
“Drug cartels don’t care about party lines,” he wrote. “If the UP and CDC keep treating the drug war as just another political battleground for 2029, the syndicates will come out on top, our communities will suffer, and justice will be the real loser. It’s time to stop playing political point scoring.”
While commending the latest efforts of the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force, Konneh said the Liberian public still deserves answers regarding how such an enormous quantity of suspected cocaine entered the country and who may have facilitated the alleged trafficking operation.
“We urge them to do more to tell us how nearly half a billion dollars worth of cocaine entered our borders and who helped them,” he stated.
The Gbarpolu senator concluded by calling on Liberians to unite behind the fight against transnational drug trafficking, arguing that safeguarding the country from organized crime should transcend political divisions.
“There’s nothing wrong with Liberia that can’t be fixed by what’s right about Liberia,” Konneh said. “Let’s unite to protect our nation. That’s true patriotism.”
Konneh ended his statement with the hashtags #PutLiberiaFirst and #WarOnIllicitDrugs, reinforcing his appeal for national unity and collective action in confronting Liberia’s growing drug trafficking challenge.
