Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai to Set up First War Crimes Court

A new war crimes court has been established in Liberia by an executive order signed by President Joseph Boakai, more than two decades after two civil conflicts that claimed 250,000 lives came to an end.

Liberia, according to Mr. Boakai, had “endured downpours of agony”. Atrocities throughout the hostilities that lasted from 1989 to 2003 included forced child military recruitment, rape, and mass executions.

The court’s establishment has been met with opposition in Liberia from those who fear it will revive old wounds. Mr. Boakai, however, asserted that the court will “assist in identifying the causes and consequences of the violence” and promote “justice and healing.”

This is a significant first step toward Liberia’s establishment of a war crimes tribunal.

Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2006, but it was not a tribunal. The TRC produced a list of those who should face war crimes prosecution in 2009, but nothing came of it.

Since it mentioned prominent politicians like Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, it became entangled in political turmoil. Although there hasn’t been a trial in Liberia, some of the offenders have received convictions elsewhere.

Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, is presently serving a 50-year term in the United Kingdom for war crimes related to his involvement in the violence in neighboring Sierra Leone.