By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia— Justice activists have expressed anger and disappointment at President Joseph Boakai’s appointment of Jonathan Massaquoi as head of the Office for War and Economic Crimes Courts for Liberia. They said Massaquoi’s role as lawyer for former warlord Agnes Reeves-Taylor in cases against justice activists will undermine public…
“Living in Hell” – Experts Alarmed at a Dramatic Increase in Street Children and Child Sex Workers as Government Struggles to Respond
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon with New Narratives DUPORT ROAD, Paynesville – For the last three years 17-year-old Lusu has been living a hellish existence, trying to keep herself and her two babies alive, by selling the only thing she has of value: sex. Like a growing number of children living on Liberia’s streets, Lusu…
Outgoing Finance Minister Admits to a Mental Health Illness in Closed Door Donor Meeting; Experts Commend His Disclosure, Warning Against Stigma
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—Finance Minister Boima Kamara has said health issues were the cause of his absence from duty over recent months leading President Boakai to request his resignation as reported by Front Page Africa on Monday. Front Page Africa/New Narratives have learned that in a closed-door UN donor meeting on July 3…
After a Mysterious Press Release and Bad Start for The Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts, Advocates Demand a Reset
Leading human rights lawyer Tiawan Gongloe has condemned the process for selection of the head of the Office for the War and Economics Crimes courts By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—After a bad start to the launch of the Office for the War and Economics Crimes courts human rights advocates are demanding President…
Government Asks ECOWAS Court to Dismiss Lutheran Massacre Case
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives In a hearing at the Ecowas Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, the Liberian government has asked the court to dismiss a $US1.5 million lawsuit accusing it of dereliction of duty by not investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church massacre in Monrovia, committed by…
UN Receives Boakai’s Letter Requesting War and Economic Crimes Courts Support as Major Donors Express Concern Over Process for Appointment of Courts Chief
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Monrovia – President Joseph Boakai has taken the first step in inviting international support for the establishment of Liberia’s War and Economic Crimes Courts by sending a letter to António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General, requesting financial and technical assistance for the courts. Requesting UN support is a crucial…
Bar Adds to Condemnation of War and Economic Crimes Courts Process, Says it Was Not Consulted
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—The leader of Liberia’s powerful National Bar Association, the professional organization of the nation’s lawyers, has joined the growing list of civil society and victims’ groups that have condemned the process by which President Joseph Boakai appointed Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi as executive director of the Office of War…
US War Crimes Ambassador Warns ‘Unsubstantiated Allegations Put Civil Society Actors at Risk’
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives Monrovia – The US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice has condemned Mr. Alan White, an American former investigator for the Sierra Leone Special Court, and a group of activists for making unsubstantiated allegations against leading human rights activists in a Congressional committee hearing in Washington D.C. last month. Mr….
Finland Awards More Than $US426,000 in Compensation to Acquitted Sierra Leonean Warlord Massaquoi
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives The Finnish government has awarded €390,000 ($US426,00) in compensation to Gibril Massaquoi, the former Sierra Leonean rebel leader acquitted in January of war crimes and crimes against humanity prosecutors said he committed during Liberia’s second civil war between 1999-2003. The payment covers Mr. Massaquoi’s loss of liberty and income during the…
Human Rights Activists Welcome Orator’s Criticism of War Crimes Court Office Appointment
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia— Leading advocates of war time justice for Liberia have welcomed criticism by Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey, in this year’s Independence Day oration, of the process to appoint Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi as executive director of the War and Economic Crimes Courts Office. Dr. Pailey called on President Boakai to…
President Boakai Withdraws Appointment of War and Economics Crimes Office Head After Widespread Condemnation from Human Rights Groups and Lawyers
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—President Joseph Boakai has withdrawn his appointment of Liberian lawyer, Jonathan Massaquoi to head the newly constituted Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts following nearly two months of public condemnation from almost all leading victims and human rights advocates and the umbrella body for lawyers in the…
At U.N. Liberian Government Seeks Endorsement of War and Economic Crimes Courts; Commits to Government Apology and Reparations
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives The Liberian government sought the endorsement of its war and economic crimes courts from the United Nations in a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting comes three months after President Joseph Boakai quietly sent a letter to the U.N. Secretary General, asking for technical and financial support for the courts. Though the…
Boakai Government Risking Cuts in US Aid Because of Failure to Act on Anti-Trafficking Cases
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—In December 2022, after 10 months of abuse and exploitation as a housemaid in Oman, Kemah was excited to hear that the Liberian government was finally coming to her rescue. Kemah was one of more than 300 women allegedly duped into traveling to Oman under false promises of…
Ivorian Man on Trial As Stalled Human Trafficking Trials Resume
By Anthony Stephens with New Narratives MONROVIA, Liberia—An Ivorian man is standing trial in Monrovia over human trafficking allegations in the first trial since Liberia was downgraded to the US State Department’s tier two Trafficking in Persons Watch List after the Weah administration cut off funding to trafficking prosecutions. The US government has warned the…
Liberia’s Silent Crisis: Women and Children Bear the Brunt of Persistent Hunger
Liberia is facing a quiet but devastating hunger crisis, and women and children are suffering the most. In communities like West Point, mothers often survive on just one meal a day so their children can eat, while many families scrape by through informal work that barely covers a few cups of rice. Liberia ranks 112th…
Liberia’s Silent Crisis: Women and Children Bear the Brunt of Persistent Hunger
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate correspondent with New Narratives Summary WEST POINT, Monrovia – Favor James wakes up every morning thinking about water. Not drinking it but selling it – cold water in plastic bags that she hawks on Kru Beach here in the capitals’ largest informal settlement, for a few coins. Born with limited…
Stroke, Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes Reaching Crisis Levels, Say Experts, But Few Liberians Know How to Protect Themselves
Heart disease, cancer, mental illness and diabetes are some of a group of diseases that are growing at an alarming rate in Liberia, killing far more people than better known killers like malaria and typhoid.More than one in three deaths are now caused by so-called lifestyle diseases – preventable diseases that are primarily caused by…
Stroke, Heart Disease, Cancer and Diabetes Reaching Crisis Levels, Say Experts, But Few Liberians Know How to Protect Themselves
By Tetee Gebro with New Narratives In a three-part series Tetee Gebro, senior reporter with Front Page Africa and New Narratives, examines what health experts call Liberia’s “next epidemic” and the barriers to helping Liberians retake control of their health. NEEZOE, Montserrado County —In 2018, William Pewu was living a regular life like most Liberians. The 54-year-old father of…
“Next Epidemic” of Heart Disease, Diabetes, Mental Health and Cancers Can Be Prevented Says WHO Representative, But it Needs a Nationally Coordinated Approach
Across the country, experts are raising the alarm about the growing number of Liberians becoming sick and dying from so called non-comminable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.Experts say the greatest tragedy is that they are preventable with the right information and lifestyle changes.But in part two of this series on the crisis, Tetee…
“Next Epidemic” of Heart Disease, Diabetes, Mental Health and Cancers Can Be Prevented Says WHO Representative, But it Needs a Nationally Coordinated Approach
By Tetee Gebro with New Narratives In this series Tetee Gebro, senior reporter with Front Page Africa and New Narratives, examines what health experts call Liberia’s “next epidemic” and the barriers to helping Liberians retake control of their health. In 2018 Kulah Quaqua began her usual day waking up early, heading to her job as…
Whistleblower Protections in Place But Transparency Advocates Say They Are Useless Without Funding
By Joyclyn Wea with New Narratives It’s been four years since Sensee Morris took the brave decision to call out corruption. It’s a choice very few Liberians make, according to transparency advocates, because of the dangers involved. And Mr. Morris has paid a heavy price. As a deputy managing director of the Liberia Water and…