President Joseph Boakai signing the first executive order that established the Office of War and Economic Crimes of Liberia in May 2024 amid appaluse from key governmnt officials and leading advocates. Credit: Executive Mansion.
Joseph Boakai, Liberia’s President, has renewed the mandate of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia, a decision coming days after leading local and international human rights organizations urged him to do so.
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives
In an executive order issued Wednesday evening, two days before the current order expires, Mr. Boakai also increased the Office’s annually budget to a whopping amount higher than its current allocation of $US313,000 in the 2025 national budget.
“It shall be funded through a special budgetary process with an annual appropriation of United States Dollars, Two Million, payable in equal quarterly amounts of United Stats Dollars Five Hundred Thousand directly into its bank account(s) at the beginning of each quarter, by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning at the beginning of each quarter,” said the order of funding to the Office. The presidential directive also said the Office “shall submit quarterly operational and financial reports to the office of the President through the Minister of Justice” and that “all such reports shall be subject to independent verifications and audits by the agencies of government authorized to conduct such activities.”
Advocates for the courts say the government must act fast to establish them.
Until Wednesday, advocates for the special war crimes court and national anti-corruption court
were concerned about what they said was the president’s silence on their push for his renewal of the executive order and for more funding for the Office. When US Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Torner held two recent meetings with Dr. Barbu and his team and Cllr. Oswald Tweh, Liberia’s justice minister, advocates hoped that some US funding might be found.
On the question of support for the court following Ambassador Toner’s meeting with Dr. Barbu, the embassy said in an email to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives that “Since the OWECC EO was announced, the U.S. has supported the initiative with three sets of technical visits. We will continue to stay engaged and explore possibilities for future assistance.” It said he “expressed his hope that the Executive Order extending the OWECC’s mandate would be signed soon, so it’s important work can continue.”
Advocates are excited that the president has renewed the mandate of the Office.
“This is a big victory for the victims and survivors of this nation,” Mr. Peterson Sonyah, executive director of the Liberia Massacre Survivors association, one of Liberia’s largest victims’ and survivors groups. Mr. Sonyah was speaking in a phone interview to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives. “We welcome it. We want to thank President Joseph Nyumah Boakai that he always listens to us. As I speak to you, we are celebrating. The $US2 million is going to be a very good relief to the office. And we victims and survivors applaud the president for that. We are very much happy. We are happy to the extent that we are out of words.”
Mr. Adama Dempster, another leading advocate for the courts, and one of those who issued the recent statement and report, also hailed the government’s move.
“The renewal of Executive Order 131 is absolutely crucial for Liberia’s war crimes efforts,” said Mr. Dempster by a WhatsApp message. “It ensures the continuation of essential preparatory work, facilitates international cooperation, and signals the government’s ongoing commitment to justice and accountability for the horrific crimes committed during the nation’s civil wars.”
“I think it’s a great step forward,” said Mr. John Stewart, an ex-commissioner of Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “That is an indication of seriousness and commitment to the process, and we hope our partners will be inspired and encouraged to provide support in this direction.”
Dr. Jallah Barbu, executive director of the Office, who has consistently complained about the lack of funds to operate, had projected a nearly budget of $US1 million. He said the new budget was “a full relief” to him and his team who were “reenergized” to work with “robust engagements with civil society and close engagement with the governments.”
“We are looking forward to ensuring that what his supposed to happen for the people of Liberia and the victims will happen,” said Dr. Barbu in a short phone interview late Wednesday evening.
Dr. Jallah Barbu, executive director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court, co-chairing a stakeholders’ meeting earlier on Wedneday before the mandate of his Office was renewed by President Boakai.
The Office is key to Liberia’s transitional justice process and is tasked with the responsibility to “investigate, design, prescribe the design and methodology, mechanisms and processes” for the courts. Its mandate is to also determine the duration, location, security, budgeting and salaries and staff for the courts. The Office is to also “liaise with international partners in sourcing funding for the Special War Crimes court of Liberia.” The US was supposed to be one of such partners, but President Donald Trump, in his second term, has caried out sweeping aid cuts that have affected funding to the court. Further worrying for Liberia, the administration has threatened to shut down the Office of Global Criminal Justice, which has been key to the advocacy for funding to the Office. In an interview earlier on Wednesday before the mandate of the Office was renewed, Dr. Barbu said he was upbeat the courts would be funded, particularly by the government. He projected that the war crimes court would cost “at least $30 million between now and the establishment.”
“Meaning, when the court is established and operational lines from the beginning, we will be at that amount,” said Dr. Barbu. “How the court moves forward, is some other strategy we have to put in place.”
He said he didn’t want to “attach a figure” to the national anti-corruption court” as “a process is going on” and that they were “working with the LACC and other anti-graft institutions to make a determination.”
Advocates for the courts, including Madam Leymah Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, have repeatedly urged the government to the lead in supporting the court.
“If let’s say, for example, the budget for the court is $US5 million, let the government put $US3 down,” said Madam Gbowee in an FPA/NN interview a day before the presidential directive was issued. A towering figure in Liberia’s advocacy for justice, peace and democracy, Madam Gbowee led a non-violent women movement that compelled warring factions in Liberia’s to sign a peace agreement that ended the country’s second civil war nearly 22 years ago. She said courts were important to end impunity which has said had “taken a glorious seat in Liberia” and urged the government to give a bigger share of support for the courts. “And I’m sure by that moment, donors will be more than happy now to start coming and stepping in. But everywhere in the world, there’s funding challenge before our traditional allies would do it, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. But now everyone has different priorities in the world.”
Madam Leymah Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, says the international community’s support to Liberia’s war and economic crimes courts will be based on the government’s contribution. Credit: Anthony Stephens/New Narratives.
This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say in the story’s content.
