Liberia - May 2024

On 2 May, President Joseph Boakai signed an executive order paving the way for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court for Liberia and an anti-corruption court. The former is to prosecute people and organisations responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberian civil war (1979-2003).  This court will be an international tribunal established by the Liberian government in conjunction with international partners but its jurisdiction and location are yet to be determined. The executive order follows a parliamentary resolution in April calling for the establishment of such a court and it represents the first domestic attempt to hold perpetrators legally accountable for the massacres, rape and torture carried out during the conflict. The anti-corruption court will be domestic and have the ‘power to adjudicate matters involving acts of corruption’ committed during the civil war. Legislation will need to be passed by parliament to establish this court.

Sources: The President of the Republic of Liberia, New York Times, The Africa Report, British Broadcasting Corporation