Journalism

Grandmother’s Rape Case Shows a Paralyzed Justice System Where Just Two Convictions Have Been Won in Six Years and Rapists Walk Free

By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives Summary: TODEE DISTRICT, Montserrado County — The first time they came, they brought L$18,000  (US$100). The second time the family brought a lapa, a traditional cloth. When the family, whose 24-year-old son had been accused by multiple witnesses of raping the 57-year-old grandmother in broad daylight in front…

Tetee Gebro
Frontpage Africa

“We Have Had So Many Dialogues.” Women Ask Why Their Needs Remain Unsolved

By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary Liberian women said they are tired of explaining their problems. After years of consultations, meetings, and promises, many of the 160 respondents to a new nationwide consultation across Liberia’s 15 counties said the country’s leaders already know what they need: affordable healthcare, better roads, support for…

Joyclyn Wea
Frontpage Africa

Court Hands Down Longest-Ever 50-Year Prison Terms in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Case, Awards US$120,000 in Restitution to Victims

“The defendants deceived their victims, recruited them, harbored them, exploited them, sexually abused them and took money from them as registration fees,” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie said during his more than two-hour reading of a 36-page judgment. “These are all critical elements of trafficking in persons. And it is the considered judgment of this court…

Anthony Stephens
Video

Court Hands Down Longest-Ever 50-Year Prison Terms in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Case, Awards US$120,000 in Restitution to Victims

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary: A Liberian court awarded US$120,000 in restitution to victims and imposed the country’s longest-ever human trafficking sentences, sentencing eight defendants to 50 years and three others to 20 in Liberia’s largest trafficking case. The court ordered banks and telecommunications companies to identify and freeze assets belonging…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Cleaner air, lower costs: Electric bikes find early adopters in Ghana’s north

“Now I don’t inhale the smoke anymore,” Rahinatu says with a smile. “The ride is quieter, and I feel better.” Rahinatu is part of a small but growing shift in Bawku, where electric bikes are gradually changing how people experience their daily journeys. Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen reports in this social media Video. To read more about…

Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen
Video

As Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition Marks Five Years, Senate Delay Keeps Abortion Provision of Public Health Bill in Limbo

Liberia’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition has spent five years shifting public attitudes, training young people, and building support for reproductive health. Despite these achievements, the coalition’s central demand—the inclusion of abortion access in the stalled Public Health Bill—remains unresolved due to Senate delays, leaving women vulnerable and pushing activists to call for stronger local…

Joyclyn Wea
Video

As Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition Marks Five Years, Senate Delay Keeps Abortion Provision of Public Health Bill in Limbo

By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Five years ago, organizations working on sexual and reproductive health across Liberia reached the same conclusion: acting alone was not enough. With funding from the Swedish government, they formed the Amplifying Rights Network, a coalition that has since trained community leaders, mobilized thousands of citizens, and…

Joyclyn Wea
Frontpage Africa

Liberia Goes Solar: Power Is Reaching More Liberians as a Record Number of Panels Enter the Country, but Experts Warn Access Challenges Remain

Liberia is experiencing a surge in solar energy adoption, with a record number of panels entering the country. This expansion is helping more households and businesses gain access to electricity, particularly in rural areas where the national grid is limited. However, experts caution that challenges remain, including affordability, maintenance, and ensuring equitable distribution of solar…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants

A 12-member jury in Monrovia has unanimously convicted eight defendants in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, finding them guilty of trafficking 57 victims after just 23 minutes of deliberation. The case, which involved harrowing testimony of beatings, torture, rape, and financial exploitation, was seen as a landmark test of Liberia’s justice system amid allegations of…

Anthony Stephens
Video

Liberia Goes Solar: Power Is Reaching More Liberians as a Record Number of Panels Enter the Country, but Experts Warn Access Challenges Remain

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary Every morning before sunrise, Karrus Hayes loads a pickup truck in Paynesville and points it toward the interior. The road to Bapolu County is long. The road to Sinoe is longer. But he goes to those rural counties anyway because people there are waiting…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Frontpage Africa

Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants: Outcome seen as measure of justice system under international scrutiny for bribery allegations

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary: Jurors hearing Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial on Monday unanimously found the remaining defendants guilty, bringing to a close a nearly month-long trial marked by emotional testimony from victims and fierce legal battles between prosecutors and defense lawyers. The 12-member jury returned its verdict after just…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Breaking News: Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants

Outcome seen as measure of justice system under international scrutiny for bribery allegations By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Liberia’s Largest Trafficking Trial Ends in Convictions for All Defendants A jury convicted all eight defendants on all charges Monday in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, delivering a unanimous verdict after roughly 20…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

As Other African Nations Reject U.S. Health Deal, Liberia’s Agreement Faces New Scrutiny

Liberia’s new five‑year, US$124 million health compact with the U.S. is drawing sharp scrutiny as other African nations reject similar deals over concerns about data sovereignty, specimen sharing, and funding obligations. Civil society groups warn that the agreement could give U.S. entities long‑term access to sensitive health information without adequate safeguards, while shifting financial burdens…

Joyclyn Wea
Video

As Other African Nations Reject U.S. Health Deal, Liberia’s Agreement Faces New Scrutiny

By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Ghana has become the third African country to reject a proposed U.S. health agreement, with government officials saying the deal would have given U.S. entities broad access to sensitive national health data, including metadata and analytical tools, without sufficient safeguards or prior approval. The deal included provisions that…

Joyclyn Wea
Frontpage Africa

State Closes Case After Subpoenaed Witnesses Say Company Linked to Accused Traffickers Is Not Tax Compliant; Final Arguments and Ruling Set for Monday

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Summary:  Prosecutors rested after calling three subpoenaed government witnesses to challenge key claims made by the defense. Witnesses testified that Infinity Millennium was registered with the government but had not paid taxes or declared income, and that QNet was not registered to import pharmaceutical products into Liberia….

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

Female Electric Kehkeh Drivers Are Breaking Barriers and Fighting Air Pollution

“Sherman’s journey reflects a broader shift taking place on Monrovia’s streets. A small but growing group of women is entering Liberia’s male-dominated transport sector through a fleet of electric kehkehs. The vehicles are helping Liberia address two persistent challenges: limited economic opportunities for women and worsening air pollution from thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles. For the…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

 Ex-President Sirleaf Backs Specialized Anti-Corruption Court, Urges Boakai to Address “the Several Scandals That Plague the Society” 

By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives  Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s and Africa’s first democratically elected female president, on Wednesday urged President Joseph Boakai to intensify the fight against corruption, calling on him to address what she described as “the several scandals that plague the society” while backing the creation of a Specialized National…

Anthony Stephens
Frontpage Africa

As Vaccine Aid Is Cut, a Remote Measles Outbreak Shows What’s at Risk

A measles outbreak struck Kiangia Town in January, moving silently from home to home before families realized what was happening. With clinics closed or lacking medicine, parents and grandparents relied on traditional remedies like leaves, honey, and alcohol, which experts say offered no protection. One child, Samuel, just four years old, died, while others suffered…

Tetee Gebro
Video

Jurors, Defendants and Alleged Victims Visit Site at Center of Largest Human Trafficking Trial as Case Enters Crucial Phase

Jurors in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial visited the compound in Margibi County where 57 alleged victims say they were held, abused, and forced to recruit relatives and friends into the trafficking network. Prosecutors argue the site was the base of an organization that lured people with false promises of jobs abroad before subjecting them…

Anthony Stephens
Video