Funding Cuts, Weak Oversight, And Hidden Traps: Experts Sound the Alarm on Liberia’s New U.S. Health Deal

By Joyclyn Wea, health reporter and New Narratives editors Summary: Late last year, the government of Liberia signed a five-year health agreement with the United States. President Joseph Boakai’s administration celebrated the deal as a step toward taking control of the country’s own health system. But health experts, former U.S. government officials, and civil society groups are raising serious…

How Liberia’s Human Traffickers Stay Free

A mass escape from a trafficking ring handed prosecutors everything they needed for Liberia’s biggest trafficking conviction. 51 victims say a bribe is about to set their traffickers free By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors On a morning last October, more than 50 women and men walked into Paynesville magistrates’ court…

Experts Warn Digital Divide is Crushing a Generation’s Dreams and Locking the Country in Poverty

By Augusta S. Lafalay with New Narratives Summary: BARNESVILLE ESTATE, Montserrado County— Sarah Sackor and her classmates were excited the day in September when a computer teacher told their 12th-grade class early that they would finally begin internet lessons. For years, “computer class” had been mostly theory — copying notes from textbooks. Most students at…

 “We Are Tired”: Women Demand Justice and Action on Gender Violence; Police Chief Promises Action

By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: SINKOR, Monrovia— Dressed in black, chanting in anger and grief, scores of women marched through Monrovia on Monday to demand justice for Toni Jackson, the wife of Samuel Jackson, a prominent economist and political commentator, and to press the Liberian government to act more forcefully against gender-based…

Experts Say Liberia Must Strengthen Governance to Unlock Global Climate Funding as Government Moves to Implement Climate Commitments

Liberia is at risk of losing millions in global climate funding as experts warn the country must urgently strengthen its environmental governance, after years of stalled projects left coastal communities, farmers and vulnerable families exposed to rising seas and unpredictable weather; now, with leaders and partners meeting in Monrovia to chart a new path, many…

Experts Say Liberia Must Strengthen Governance to Unlock Global Climate Funding as Government Moves to Implement Climate Commitments

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate change correspondent with New Narratives Summary Liberia risks missing out on millions of dollars in international climate financing unless it strengthens its environmental governance systems, a Liberian climate expert has warned. Isaac Nyaneyon Kannah Teah, a Liberian climate expert with a master’s degree in geoscience from Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco,…

Middle East War Pushes Up Global Oil Prices, Increasing Pressure on Liberia

Liberians are feeling the pinch as global oil prices soar past $100 a barrel, driving up the cost of transport, food, electricity and daily survival in a country that relies entirely on imported fuel. Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon reports in this social media Video. To read more about this story click this link: Liberia: Middle East…

Police Cleared Deputy Minister in Rape Case, But Victim’s Lawyer Criticizes Police Decision to Keep DNA Report Secret

Liberians are raising fresh questions about transparency after human rights lawyer Tiawan Gongloe revealed that police still haven’t released the full DNA and investigative report that cleared former Deputy Minister Bryant McGill in the alleged rape of a 14‑year‑old girl. Police say DNA testing abroad and cellphone data exonerated McGill, but the survivor’s family has…

Belgian Court Orders War Crimes Trial for Martina Johnson, a Key Ally of Warlord-Turned President Charles Taylor, After Decade-Long Investigation

After more than 15 years of investigation, a Belgian appeals court has ruled that Martina Johnson — one of the most powerful commanders in Charles Taylor’s rebel movement — must finally stand trial for alleged atrocities committed during Liberia’s first civil war. Johnson is accused of leading brutal attacks during Operation Octopus, a 1992 assault…