Anthony Stephens

Civil Society Urges President Boakai to Extend Expiring Executive Order for War Crimes Court Office; Office Head Warns President Will be “Shooting Himself” If he Declines

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Civil society organizations working on transitional justice in Liberia have urged President Joseph Boakai to extend his executive order establishing the Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts which expires May 1. Key mandates of the Office, including a roadmap for Liberia’s transitional justice process and a bill for…

Anthony Stephens
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Government to Hold “Tough Conversations” with Partners After US Aid Cuts; Launches $US30 Million Project to Revamp County Service Centers, Digitize Government and Maximize Revenue

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives The Liberian government said it would hold “tough conversations” with the country’s international partners in April to explore ways to deal with the “shock” of the US aid cuts announced by the new Trump administration this month. The US is Liberia’s second largest donor after the World Bank. Most…

Anthony Stephens
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Finnish Court Awards More Compensation to Sierra Leonean Warlord Acquitted of Charges for Crimes in Liberia

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives A Finnish court has additional compensation to Gibril Massaquoi, an ex-commander of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF), acquitted in 2024 of charges that he committed egregious human rights violations in Liberia under the direction of then-president Charles Taylor. In 2024 the Pirkanmaa District Court in Finland ordered the country’s government…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Head of War and Economic Crimes Courts Office Says Bill for Courts Will Be Ready “Very Soon” Urges Citizens to Pressure Lawmakers to Legislate Courts

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives CARTER CAMP, Liberia—Dr. Jallah Barbu, executive director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts of Liberia, says a bill for the courts will be ready “very soon.” Dr. Barbu said that a technical committee comprising Liberian transitional justice experts, was “reenforcing the bill” drafted by a committee…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Economists Warn of Lost Jobs and Public Services With More Aid Cuts Looming; Urge Government Salary Cuts, Tax Reform and Boost to Local Production

By Anthony Stephens and Prue Clarke with New Narratives Economists have warned expected cuts to United States aid funding will hurt Liberia’s progress on development and threaten political instability. They have urged the administration of President Joseph Boakai to cut salaries and allowances of officials among changes they say will be needed to withstand the…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

War Crimes Court Advocates Say President Boakai Made a “Serious Mistake” by Appointing Accused War Profiteer to UN Post

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Leading human rights advocates have condemned President Joseph Boakai’s decision to  commission Lewis Brown, a former national security adviser to Charles Taylor, as Liberia’s ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Brown was recommended for prosecution by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and could be one of those prosecuted…

Anthony Stephens
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UN Special Rapporteur Says “Poverty and Inequality Are Drivers” of Human Trafficking; Calls on Gov. to Fund Protection of Victims and Prosecution of Accused Traffickers

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives ONE UN HOUSE, Liberia—A United Nations expert has warned that poverty and equality are high among “children, women and girls” in Liberia and “are drivers” of human trafficking. Madam Siobhán Mullally, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, said the issues were also fueling “sexual exploitation” among children “in rural and hard…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

West African Regional Body Approves Special Tribunal in The Gambia Setting Precedent for Liberia’s War and Economics Crimes Court

By New Narratives justice correspondents Yankuba Jallow in The Gambia and Anthony Stephens in Liberia. In a potential precedent for Liberia’s transitional justice process, Ecowas, West Africa’s regional bloc, has finally approved The Gambia’s request to establish a Special Tribunal to try alleged crimes committed during the military dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh whose rule from…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Senate Unanimously Confirms President Boakai’s Controversial UN Pick, But Advocates Dismisses It as “a Serious Threat to Justice”

By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives The Liberian Senate has confirmed Lewis Brown, President Joseph Boakai’s controversial pick for Ambassador to the United Nations, despite opposition from leading voices in the human rights community in the country. Advocates had argued that Mr. Brown, recommended in Liberia’s 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commision report as one of 26 individuals who should face prosecution…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

A Range of Security Challenges Will Face War Crimes Courts But Experts Say Accused Perpetrators Are Not Among Them

By Anthony Stephens, Senior Justice Correspondent with New Narratives Summary: One of the most important issues for designers of Liberia’s war and economic crimes court will be security. Opponents of the court, including Thomas Nimely Yaya, an ex-rebel leader, now a senator of Grand Gedeh County, have long threatened a court would “dismantle” peace, stir up old…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

War Crimes Court Office Receives Part of Promised Government Funding as Office Head Prepares for Important Meeting with Ecowas President

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives The Office of War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia said Thursday that it had received $US300,000 or 15 percent of President Joseph Boakai’s promised $US2 million for 2025, for its operations. The president pledged the funding in late April when he extended the mandate of the Office…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Liberia Pauses for National Day of Prayer to Honor Dead and Living Victims of the Country’s Civil Wars  

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Joseph Boakai, Liberia’s President, offered a special prayer for the nation at a national service Wednesday at the Effort Baptist Church in Paynesville, where Boakai also serves as a deacon. As Liberians with formal employment took advantage of a surprise last minute public holiday, the president…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

President Boakai Pledges To Build a National War Memorial and Declares Day of Prayer, Drawing Cautious Praise

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives President Joseph Boakai announced his government would soon commission a national war memorial to honor the victims of Liberia’s brutal civil wars and the peacekeepers from the Economic Community of West African States who died in the conflicts. The president made the announcement during the official celebration of…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

War Crimes Court Office Launches Outreach Campaign Even as Promised Government Funding Fails to Arrive

By Anthony Stephens senior justice correspondent with New Narratives The Office of Liberia’s War and Economics Crimes Court launched its official outreach campaign at an event at the Office’s headquarters in Mamba Point, Monrovia on Saturday, despite having still received none of the $US2 million in funding promised by President Boakai in April. The campaign…

Anthony Stephens
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