MONROVIA – John H. T. Stewart, former Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner and veteran journalist, has issued a passionate call to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to demonstrate leadership and urgency in establishing the long-promised War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia. In a widely shared Facebook commentary, Stewart warned that the president’s public commitment to justice is at risk of being undermined by bureaucratic inaction and internal sabotage.
“Sometime ago last year, President Boakai wrote the UN requesting assistance to set up a War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia,” Stewart wrote. “Following closely on the heels of that request, the President issued an Executive Order that established an Office for the creation of the Court and appointed Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi as Executive Director.” Massaquoi was later replaced by Cllr. Dr. Jallah Barbu, following concerns from civil society over his suitability for the role.
The president extended the mandate of the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia (OWECCL) and authorized US$2 million to support its operations. However, five months after that authorization, no disbursements have been made. The office’s staff have gone unpaid, rent is overdue, and operational activities have come to a virtual standstill.
“This is Liberia’s opportunity to demonstrate to the world that we are capable of rising from the ashes of destruction wrought by our own hands and embracing the future with hope and outstretched arms of Peace, Justice and Reconciliation,” Stewart declared. “This is your time, President Boakai! You cannot afford to fail or waver. The hopes of all Liberians for Peace, Justice, Accountability and Reconciliation are pinned on you.”
Dr. Jallah Barbu, the current Executive Director of the OWECCL, confirmed in a meeting with the Faith and Justice Network that the government has yet to release any of the funds approved by the president. “The continued lack of funding is disheartening,” Barbu stated. “It’s discouraging our staff and turning away international partners, who have made clear they will not pay government salaries.”
The funding delay comes at a time when Liberia recently secured a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Local and International observers say that Liberia’s credibility on global justice issues now hangs in the balance. A prominent Liberian lawyer emphasized that Liberia’s effectiveness on the Security Council will be judged, in part, by whether it follows through on its own domestic calls for accountability and reconciliation.
Cllr. Gabriel Nah, weighed in on the situation in an interview with Smart News Liberia. “Liberia’s presence on the Security Council is not a symbolic reward, it comes with responsibility. The establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court is a litmus test for the Boakai administration’s seriousness about justice. Any further delay risks painting the government as either indifferent or complicit in shielding warlords,” he warned.
In his message, Stewart also sounded the alarm over what he described as internal sabotage. Drawing comparisons to the downfall of former President William R. Tolbert, Stewart said Boakai must beware of those in his inner circle who may be undermining his legacy for their own gain. “Please be aware, Mr. President, that there is no shortage of greed-driven individuals without and within your circle of advisors and associates who will and are prepared to sacrifice anything and anybody, including you,” Stewart cautioned.
“This is your time, President Boakai,” he concluded. “SEIZE the MOMENT!”
