Liberia: War Crimes Court Body Accuses Senior Liberian Officials of Blocking Progress

The body tasked with establishing Liberia's long-awaited War and Economic Crimes Court accused senior government officials Tuesday of deliberately blocking progress, naming the justice minister, the president's legal advisor and the national security advisor as key obstacles.

Speaking on a local radio program, Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court-Liberia (OWEC-L) Executive Director, Dr. Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu said Justice Minister Oswald N. Tweh, Presidential Legal Advisor Cllr. Busheben Keita and National Security Advisor Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods had failed to review two critical draft laws submitted for technical input and onward transmission to the Legislature.

"These actions and inactions are undermining progress," Barbu said, warning that continued delays could derail national efforts to establish the court.

He went further, alleging that the resistance was not merely bureaucratic. "What we are seeing is strong political will from the President, but it is being strangulated by individuals who may have participated in the war or are protecting those who could be held accountable," he said.

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The proposed court is intended to prosecute individuals responsible for atrocities committed during Liberia's civil wars between 1989 and 2003, which left an estimated 250,000 people dead and displaced thousands more. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended its establishment, but implementation has faced years of political resistance and institutional inertia.

OWECC-L was established by the government in 2024 to lead the process, with a mandate covering legal, institutional and stakeholder coordination.

Barbu cautioned that the delays risk eroding public confidence in the government's commitment to accountability. "There are elements in this government that are stalling the process because they want it to fail," he said.

OWECC-L warned that continued obstruction could reinforce a culture of impunity and deny justice to victims who have waited decades for accountability. Civil society organizations and international partners have consistently urged the government to act on TRC recommendations, stressing that justice remains a pillar of sustainable peace.

Despite the friction, Barbu reaffirmed the institution's commitment to advancing the court. "We cannot afford to fail the victims of our past. Justice delayed is justice denied," he said.

Read the original article on Liberian Investigator.