Liberia’s lower house of parliament took a historic step on Tuesday by approving a motion to establish a long-awaited war crimes court. This decision comes more than two decades after the brutal civil wars that ravaged the nation.
The vote marks the first official step towards holding perpetrators accountable for atrocities committed during the conflicts. The resolution calls for trials related to human rights violations and “economic crimes” committed between 1989 and 2003, a period that claimed an estimated 250,000 lives. The wars were marked by horrific acts, including massacres, mutilations, rapes, cannibalism, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers.
Following the vote, jubilant scenes erupted in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers reportedly danced, sang, and chanted slogans demanding justice. Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa declared, “The resolution has been passed, and justice for the Liberian people has finally arrived.”
The motion now moves to the Senate for further debate and approval. If passed by both houses, it will then be presented to President Joseph Boakai for his final sign-off. This would trigger the drafting of a statute to formally establish the court.
President Boakai had already signaled his support for such a court during his inauguration speech in January, proposing the creation of a “war and economic crimes court.” This parliamentary action echoes the recommendations of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) established in 2009. However, those recommendations were largely ignored as many accused warlords retained significant influence. Notably, Senator Prince Johnson, one of the most prominent figures named in the TRC report, remains unaccountable for his wartime actions. He maintains that a general amnesty granted as part of the peace agreement protects him.
Tuesday’s resolution signifies a renewed commitment to justice. The Liberian House of Representatives has now officially declared its support for the “full implementation of the TRC recommendations,” including the establishment of the court. It also commits to working with President Boakai to bring this long-awaited institution to life.
