Thousands of bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia to assist vulnerable Liberians became the center of a major corruption case that is now nearing its conclusion in Monrovia. But in flood-affected communities in River Cess, some residents say they knew little about the trial and are still waiting for the relief they were promised….
Liberia
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…
Hungry and Out of Options, More Poor Liberians Turn to Begging as Prices Outrun Income
By Fatu Kamara with New Narratives Summary BROAD STREET, Monrovia – It has been a long day for Joseph. The sun is beginning to set, and the 48-year-old father of three has been trawling the streets of Monrovia since morning, asking for money. On most days, he begs for money to feed his family. Today, he…
A New Survey Warns Legislators: Liberians Overwhelmingly Want a War Crimes Court and They Won’t Vote for lawmakers Who Oppose it
Nine in every ten people questioned said they want the court established — and almost as many said they would not vote for lawmakers who fail to support it. The survey comes as bills to establish the court face strong opposition among lawmakers and the international community warns that court must meet international standards if…
Leading War Crimes Group Relocates Senior Investigator After Death Threats Ahead of U.S. Trial
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: The head of Liberia’s leading war crimes investigation group said the organization has again relocated a senior investigator for his safety after he received repeated death threats connected to his work on the case of Moses Wright, the former Liberian army commander who is set to…
Women Have Not Had Central Role in War Crimes Court Preparations; A New Project Wants to Change That
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives More than two decades after Liberian women helped played a decisive role in bringing the country’s civil wars to an end, they have been far less visible in the renewed push to reckon with the wars’ atrocities committed during them. No woman was shortlisted to lead the…
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,…
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,…
Ten Years On, Liberia’s Ebola Survivors Still Fighting the Aftermath
By Nukanah Kollie with New Narratives Summary: SUAKOKO, Bong County — All was calm at Phebe Hospital on a recent afternoon. White buildings sat behind freshly cut grass. Ambulances stood nearby. The former Ebola Treatment Unit looked like an ordinary hospital ward. More than a decade ago, it was part of an hourly battle between life…
How a Gbarnga Tailor Built a School That Trains Hundreds and Offers a Model for Small Businesses in Rural Areas
By Nukanah Kollie with New Narratives Summary: GBARNGA, Bong County —A bright blue two-story building stands in central Gbarnga, overlooking Broad Street. Red railings surround the balcony, where freshly sewn school uniforms hang beneath a sign reading, “ACD Vocational Training, School Uniform Production, Literacy Program.” Inside, shelves hold colorful fabrics as sewing machines hum across the…
‘Jaw Dropping’ El Niño” Could Test Liberia’s Weak Weather Warning System and Put Thousands of Lives at Risk, Experts Warn
A powerful El Niño weather pattern could expose serious gaps in Liberia’s ability to warn and protect communities from extreme weather, according to experts. With flooding, stronger storms, and other climate-related threats expected, thousands of people could be at risk if early warning systems fail to reach vulnerable communities in time. The warning highlights the…
‘Jaw Dropping’ El Niño” Could Test Liberia’s Weak Weather Warning System and Put Thousands of Lives at Risk, Experts Warn
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary The sea off Liberia turns a deceptive shade of calm every year around this time as the rains give way to the dry season – warm, glassy, inviting. But Nathaniel Blama, Liberia’s former chief environmental regulator, has learned to read that as a…
Experts Raise an Alarm as Aid Cuts and Price Rises Lead to Tripling of Babies Suffering Acute Malnutrition
In Liberia, health experts are sounding the alarm as childhood acute malnutrition has nearly tripled, driven by aid cuts, rising food prices, and growing poverty. Families in rural communities are struggling to feed their children, while clinics report shortages of lifesaving nutritional treatments that once helped keep vulnerable babies alive. Officials warn that without urgent…
Experts Raise an Alarm as Aid Cuts and Price Rise Lead to Acute Childhood Malnutrition Tripling as More Babies Die
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary GBAA-GAYE TOWN, Grand Bassa County – Eight-month-old Helen does not play the way babies usually do. She lies against her mother’s chest, as they sit under a palaver hut in this remote village surrounded by forest and accessible by one hand-cut road. Helen’s legs are…
Journalist Anthony Stephens Shortlisted for African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award
New Narratives journalist recognized among five finalists continent-wide for exposing corruption in Liberia’s largest human trafficking case; winner to be announced November 11 in Nairobi. Monrovia – Anthony Stephens, an award-winning journalist and lawyer with New Narratives, has become the first Liberian shortlisted for the prestigious African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award. Stephens is…
Swedish Ambassador Pledges Continued Support for Post-War Justice, Sexual and Reproductive Rights Among Other Priorities After Embassy Closure
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Sweden’s ambassador to Liberia has used an exclusive interview with Frontpage Africa/New Narratives marking the end of the country’s sixteen years of direct bilateral support since the end of the war, to reaffirm his government’s commitment to Liberia’s post war justice and accountability process. Ambassador…
Swedish Ambassador Pledges Continued Support for Post-War Justice, Sexual and Reproductive Rights Among Other Priorities After Embassy Closure
Despite closing its embassy and ending direct bilateral development assistance to Liberia, Sweden says it remains committed to supporting the country’s post-war justice, human rights and sexual and reproductive health priorities through the United Nations, European Union and other multilateral programs. Swedish Ambassador Karl Backéus urged progress toward establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court,…
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
The long-delayed trial over thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians is underway in Monrovia, but flood victims in River Cess say justice must go beyond the courtroom. Saudi Arabia donated 29,000 bags of rice in 2023, and prosecutors allege that 25,054 bags, valued at about US$425,918, were stolen, misapplied…
A Coalition of African Civil Society Groups Demands Control of Development Money. But Can They Afford to Say No to Donors?
African civil society leaders are calling for a major shift in how development money is managed, arguing that African organizations and communities should have greater power to decide their own priorities rather than simply follow donor agendas. At a gathering of more than 200 civil society leaders, funders and policymakers in Accra, participants pushed for…
A Coalition of African Civil Society Groups Demands Control of Development Money. But Can They Afford to Say No to Donors?
By Tetee Gebro, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives Summary ACCRA, Ghana — When a donor offered money to an organization working in Kenya, it came with an opportunity to expand its work into more communities. For a small organization that needed funding, it might have seemed like an easy decision. It wasn’t. The donor wanted the…
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary INTERNATIONAL TIMBER INDUSTRY VILLAGE, River Cess County — When Eric Kollor learned that former government officials were finally on trial over thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians, he was surprised. The case had been moving through the courts in Monrovia,…