West Africa Justice Reporting Project

West Africa Justice Reporting Project

Since 2017 New Narratives has supported West African journalists to cover groundbreaking universal jurisdiction cases that have held perpetrators accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity to account in Europe and North America.

Journalists from Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone have travelled to the United States and Europe to cover trials of accused perpetrators for audiences across West Africa. They have also covered the quest for justice, reparation and reconciliation in all its forms, at home. Advocates have credited our reporting with the public support that led Liberian President Joseph Boakai to commit to holding a war crimes court, 22 years after the end of the war.

New Narratives, I expect and hope, should keep up the world and the Liberian people informed of developments every step of the way. I believe NN deserves a justice prize. Your journalism gave Liberians hope when no one believed there was a chance.

Hassan Bility, Liberian justice advocate.

New Narratives has played a pivotal role in assisting Liberians to understand the importance of establishing a war crimes court and why holding alleged perpetrators accountable is good for Liberia’s stability, peace, security and growth. New Narratives is the “window” through which Liberians and the rest of the world are informed and educated about transitional justice processes concerning Liberia.

Through the dedication, commitment and hard work from project staff, New Narratives is playing a pivotal role in shaping the narrative in transitional justice reporting on Liberia. The consistency and quality of New Narratives’s coverage of events ensures that  Liberians are continuously equipped with appropriate, factual information to assist them understand what is happening which ultimately bolstered their courage to finally commit to establishing the Court.⁠ ⁠Continue to play the role you’re playing.

Massa Washington, former commissioner with the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The project has been funded by the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and Australia Aid.

War Victims, Survivors Protest at Court Office, Capitol as House Chairman Pledges to Put Court Bill Before Plenary Tuesday

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Hundreds of victims and survivors of Liberia’s civil wars, joined by justice advocates, protested Thursday outside the government office overseeing the establishment of a war crimes court, temporarily disrupting operations, before moving to the Capitol Building, where a senior lawmaker pledged to place the long-delayed legislation before…

Anthony StephensFrontpage Africa

U.S. Embassy Officials Visit Leading War Crimes Investigators in Show of Support, Investigators Say

U.S. Embassy Officials Visit Leading War Crimes Investigators in Show of Support, Investigators Say reports that two U.S. Embassy officials visited the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), Liberia’s leading war crimes investigation organization, following death threats against one of its senior investigators. According to Hassan Bility, the group’s director, the visit was a show…

Anthony StephensVideo

U.S. Embassy Officials Visit Leading War Crimes Investigators in Show of Support, Investigators Say

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary: Two officials from the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia visited the Global Justice and Research Project, Liberia’s leading war crimes investigation group, two weeks after it relocated its director of investigations following repeated death threats. The group’s director said the visit was an expression of American solidarity…

Anthony StephensFrontpage Africa

U.S. Trial of Former Army Commander Moses Wright, Linked to Lutheran Church Massacre, Postponed Until February

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary: The U.S. trial of Moses Wright, a former senior Liberian army commander accused of ordering and overseeing the 1990 St. Peter’s Lutheran Church massacre in which an estimated 600 men, women and children were killed, has been postponed again. Wright’s trial, previously scheduled for November in…

Anthony StephensFrontpage Africa

As Liberia Pushes for War Crimes Court, Witness Protection Agency Seeks Safe Houses, Stronger Safeguards for Victims and Witnesses in US$20 Million Plan

As Liberia moves closer to establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court, the country’s Witness Protection Agency is seeking more than US$20 million to build safe houses, strengthen security measures, and protect victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers. The initiative aims to ensure that those who come forward with critical testimony can do so safely and confidently…

Anthony StephensVideo

Witness Protection Agency Seeks to Build Trust as Push for War Crimes Court Gathers Momentum, but Funding and Capacity Remain Key Challenges

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: ·  Liberia’s Witness Protection Agency is stepping up operations as the country pushes to establish war and economic crimes and anti-corruption courts. ·  The Agency faces major challenges, including limited funding, a shortage of trained protection officers, no safe house of its own and the need to build…

Anthony StephensFrontpage Africe

Liberians Warn Lawmakers: Back War Crimes Court or Lose Our Votes

Nine in ten respondents in a FrontPage Africa/New Narratives survey support establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court and say they will not reelect lawmakers who fail to support it. Gloria Wleh reports from Margibi County, where survivors share differing views on justice, forgiveness and accountability for Liberia’s wartime crimes. This story was produced in…

Gloria WlehRadio

Nimbians Overwhelmingly Back War and Economic Crimes Court Establishment in a Nation Wide New Narratives/Radio

A New Narratives survey finds overwhelming support in Nimba County for establishing Liberia’s proposed War and Economic Crimes Court, with nine in ten respondents backing the court and warning lawmakers that their position could influence how they vote in future elections. Survivors and residents say the court is essential for justice and accountability for crimes…

Jerome SayeRadio

As Liberia Pushes for War Crimes Court, Witness Protection Agency Seeks Safe Houses, Stronger Safeguards for Victims and Witnesses in US$20 Million Plan

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary: Liberia’s Witness Protection Agency is proposing a five-year, US$20.54 million plan to build a nationwide system for protecting victims, witnesses and whistleblowers as the country moves toward establishing war crimes and anti-corruption courts that will significantly increase the number of witnesses and whistleblowers needing protection. The…

Anthony StephensFrontpage Africa

War Crimes Court Office Chief Urges Boakai to Recall Lawmakers for Special Session to Pass Court Bill Before U.N. General Assembly This Month

Liberia’s push for a War and Economic Crimes Court is gaining urgency as Jallah Barbu, head of the court’s establishment office, calls on President Joseph Boakai to recall lawmakers from their break and pass the court bill before the U.N. General Assembly. Survivors and advocates say justice for victims of Liberia’s civil wars can no…

Anthony StephensVideo

Grand Bassa Residents Overwhelmingly Call for War Crimes Court in New Survey

A new survey by New Narratives has found overwhelming support for a war and economic crimes court in Grand Bassa County, with all 100 people interviewed backing the establishment of the court and most saying they would not vote for lawmakers who oppose it. Through the voices of war survivors, victims’ families, activists, and ordinary…

King BrownRadio

Expert Warns of Security Risks if Legislature Fails to Approve War Crimes Court Before U.N. Security Council Presidency

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary Aaron Weah, the leading historian and transitional justice expert, has warned of security risks if the country fails to approve legislation establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court before it assumes the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council in December. Despite years of advocacy,…

Anthony StephensFrontpage Africa

Expert Warns of Security Risks if Legislature Fails to Approve War Crimes Court Before U.N. Security Council Presidency

As Liberia moves closer to taking on a leadership role at the United Nations Security Council, experts are warning that delays in establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court could pose risks to the country’s stability and international credibility. Advocates argue that addressing unresolved civil war-era abuses is essential for justice, accountability, and lasting peace,…

Anthony StephensVideo