Liberians observed a National Day of Prayer to honor both the dead and living victims of the country’s civil wars, bringing together communities in reflection, remembrance, and hope for healing. The event highlighted the ongoing journey toward reconciliation as families and leaders paid tribute to those lost and acknowledged the resilience of survivors. Anthony Stephens…
Liberia’s President Boakai has pledged to commission a national war memorial for the victims of the civil wars and declared a National Day of Prayer as part of efforts to promote healing and unity, drawing both praise and cautious reactions from citizens and experts. Anthony Stephens reports in this social media Video. To read more…
Liberian experts say that while Liberia’s proposed war crimes courts will face significant security challenges in protecting staff, witnesses, and facilities, there is little risk that accused perpetrators themselves will ignite violence or destabilize peace as the country pursues justice and accountability. Anthony Stephens reports in this social media Video. To read more about this…
Liberia’s Office for the War and Economic Crimes Court has launched a nationwide outreach campaign to educate citizens about the proposed war crimes and anti-corruption courts, even as the government funding promised to support the effort has yet to arrive. Anthony Stephens reports in this social media Video. To read more about this story click…
Summary: By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Martina Johnson, one of the most powerful commanders of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front for Liberia (NPFL) rebel group, is expected to go on trial in Belgium next year for atrocities allegedly committed during Liberia’s first civil war. A court is considering evidence gathered during…
In Liberia, U.S. aid cuts are dealing a crushing blow to the economy. Hundreds of well-paid jobs have disappeared, and small businesses that once thrived on aiddollars are struggling to survive. In a co-reporting with Allison Hunter, New Narratives’ senior reporter Anthony Stephens meetsrecipients of US aid who are deeply hit by the cuts. New…
Summary: By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives U.S. Immigration Authorities announced Monday they had deported a Liberian rebel commander. Although the Immigration and Custom Enforcement, (ICE), said Mayama Sesay, 43, was deported on September 5th, it only made the announcement this week. The decision of an immigration judge to deport her in…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A U.S. federal court Friday sentenced a former member of The Gambia’s feared paramilitary unit to more than 67 years in prison for acts of torture carried out under the dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh. Michael Sang Correa, 46, was sentenced by Senior Judge Christine M….
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Leading justice advocates are urging the government of President Joseph Boakai to make the creation of a war and economic crimes court its top priority and remove the proposed anti-corruption court from the mandate of the Office of the War and Economics Crimes Court, the…
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives Summary: A top European Union diplomat warned Tuesday that disinformation poses a growing danger to democracies, as waves of Russian-backed propaganda from neighboring Sahel states reverberate across West Africa. João Gomes Cravinho, the European Union’s Special Representative for the Sahel spoke at a press conference in Monrovia…
By Anthony Stephens and Allison Hunter with New Narratives Summary: Caroline Armah is exactly the sort of person the development world has tried to champion. The 33-year-old entrepreneur is building a business solving one of the most fundamental problems Liberia faces: affordable, childhood nutrition. Armah’s business Calaw Foodssells a nutritional supplement made of finely ground…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Leymah Gbowee, one of Liberia’s most celebrated peace activists, on Wednesday called on the country’s Legislature to pass a law making the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia a statutory body, thereby protecting it from the whims of a future president who…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon and Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Summary: · Residents of Saye Town in Monrovia have destroyed a notorious drug den, accusing authorities of years of inaction against crime and addiction in their community. · The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency welcomed the raid, but locals remain distrustful, citing alleged collusion between some…
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives More than three quarters ofLiberians say the war crimes court, set in motion by President Joseph Boakai after his inauguration last year, will make accountability for war-related crimes possible according to the latest survey released this month by Afrobarometer, a pan-African research organization. The survey found…
As Liberia marks 21 years of peace, victims demand justice through war crimes courts. Former warlords resist, warning of instability, while international backers and activists call for accountability, healing, and reform….
Budget cuts halted trafficking prosecutions in Liberia, leading to case collapses and bail releases. Victims cite intimidation, raising fears of backsliding and renewed U.S. sanctions if reforms are not restored….
A report accuses Bridge International Academies of financial opacity and conflicts of interest in Liberia’s education system. Former officials’ involvement sparks outrage as stakeholders demand audits, reforms, and greater transparency….
Thirty years after apartheid, South Africa’s reconciliation process offers hard-earned lessons. Activists urge Liberia to pursue justice and reparations, balancing peace and accountability to heal wounds from its own brutal civil conflict….
Former rebel leader Thomas Nimely Yaya used the 21st Anniversary of Peace Celebrations on Friday to voice his opposition to the country’s nascent war and economics crimes courts claiming they threaten the country’s political stability….
The team designing Liberia’s courts have a range of former courts to learn from. The most obvious one is Sierra Leone’s Special Court – held in our neighboring country to try crimes that resulted as a spillover from our own conflict. …
Running a war crimes court is an expensive exercise no matter where it is held. From construction of court buildings and detention facilities to salaries of judges, lawyers and administrators, to security and witness protection, costs add up quickly….
