More war crimes court advocates have joined the condemnation of President Joseph Boakai’s pick of Lewis Brown as Liberia’s ambassador to the United Nations….
War Crimes Courts Supposed to Bring Inclusive Justice But Victims Say They Are Being Excluded
It’s a mantra repeated by government officials, activists and the international community: Liberia’s victims and survivors must be at the heart of efforts to bring justice for crimes committed in the country’s long civil wars that ended in 2003. But now the office to establish the War and Economic Crimes Courts is finally taking shape, victims and survivors say they have been excluded from the process….
Boakai’s UN Ambassador Pick Rejects Claim His Appointment Would Deter Donors to War Crimes Court as UN Peacebuilding Committee Visit Wraps Up
Lewis Brown, President Joseph Boakai’s controversial pick for Ambassador to the United Nations, said he is innocent of the economics crimes allegations leveled against him in the country’s 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. …
Victims and Advocates “Angry” Warlord Prince Johnson’s Death Means He Will Not Face Justice; Call for Urgency in Establishing War Crimes Court
Human rights advocates and victims’ groups are angry over the death of Prince Johnson, the accused notorious warlord, who died suddenly in Paynesville early Thursday morning….
Outgoing US Special Advisor Urges Liberia to Move Towards “Trade Not Aid” By Cleaning Up Corruption and Investing in Electricity and Multi-User Rail
In a brief visit, Sarah Morgenthau, outgoing US President Joe Biden’s Special Representative for the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs, pressed the Liberian government to urgently improve its investment environment so the US-Liberia relationship can move more quickly to one based on investment by American companies rather than aid from the US taxpayer….
New War Crimes Court Office Head Says He is Assured of President Boakai’s Commitment to Seeing Justice Done Though Little Funding Has Been Made Available
It’s been just one month on the job for Dr. Jallah Allen Barbu, as the country’s second head of Liberia’s Office for the War and Economics Crimes Court….
Job alert: Consultant Mentors/Trainers/Editors
Job Description Job Title: Consultant Trainer/Mentor/Editor Job Location: remote Reports to: Executive Director, New Narratives New Narratives seeks highly experienced journalists to serve consultant mentors, editors and trainers for journalists in our projects. Principal Responsibilities: Consultants will oversee pitching or story ideas and reporting of journalism in audio, print and visual formats. They will mentor…
How Many Warlords Have to Be Tried to Bring Justice? That’s the Question Facing Liberia’s Future War Crimes Court
Justice activists are adamant that justice for atrocities committed during Liberia’s civil conflicts since 1979 is essential to entrenching the rule of law and ending a sense of impunity that has thrived in the country. But how many people need to face justice for those benefits to be delivered?…
Four Months After U.S. Downgrade, Amid Warning of Cut in Aid, Liberian Gov. Loses Human Trafficking Case, Prosecutors Claim Jurors Didn’t Understand the Crime
Liberia has lost a human trafficking case, four months after being downgraded to tier 2 watchlist in the 2024 annual U.S. government’s Trafficking in Persons report, amid warning by U.S. officials of a cut in “nonessential aid” if the country continues to underwhelming perform in tackling the issue….
Lawyers for Lutheran Church Massacre Survivors Describe Ecowas Court Ruling Against Them as “Disappointing”
Lawyers for victims of the 1990 St. Peter’s Lutheran Church massacre by Armed Forces of Liberia troops under the rule of then-president Samuel Doe, have described this month’s ruling by the Ecowas Community Court of Justice against their clients as “disappointing.”…
Dr. Jallah Barbu Pledges to Work with Everyone “to Address Impunity at Highest Level” as Head of Office of War and Economic Crime Courts
Dr. Jallah Allen Barbu, a former presidential candidate and dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law of the University of Liberia, has pledged to work with everyone as the new Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts….
US War Crimes Ambassador Pledges Support for New War Crimes Court Head on Eve of US Election Which Could Decide Future of the Court
Key US officials – Beth Van Schaack, Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, and the US embassy in Liberia – have separately given a boost to Dr. Jallah Barbu, the new executive director of the Office of Liberia’s War and Economic Crimes Courts, by pledging to work with him….
Liberia: Rights Groups Criticize Appointment of Accused Economic Criminal Lewis Brown as UN Ambassador as Liberia Seeks International Support for War Time Justice
Two leading Liberian human rights organizations have condemned President Joseph Boakai’s nomination of Lewis Brown, an accused econimic criminal, as the country’s ambassador to the United Nations just as the country is asking the international community to support a war and economic crimes court….
10,000 Mpox Vaccine Doses on the Way to Liberia
Liberia is set to receive 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to help protect the country from the outbreak which has claimed at least 1,000 lives worldwide….
Garmai TarnueAlum, Radio Gbarnga
Garmai Tarnue works for Radio Gbarnga in Bong County as a reporter since 2020, starting off as an intern. Garmai launched her journalism career as a then 12-year-old student. She followed her dream after completing grade school and was awarded a certificate in journalism and leadership capacity by the Bong chapter of the Young Men…
Joseph DanielsAlum, OkayFM
Joseph Daniels formerly reported for OK FM Liberia, a privately owned independent Media outlet in Monrovia. With a vested interest in making the voices of people from different walks of life heard, he has covered investigative stories relating to Education, Health, the Environment, Corruption and Violence against Women and Girls among others. He graduated from the United…
Job Alert: Finance and Administration Officer, Africa projects
Location: Monrovia, Liberia New Narratives is seeking an experienced finance and administration officer to support our projects in Africa. Must be a team player with a strong work ethic and desire to support our mission of building quality, independent journalism that gives audiences the information they need to hold leaders to account and drive change. Time:…
Job Alert: Justice Correspondent, The Gambia
Job Location: Banjul, The Gambia Time: 3 days a week, ongoing Remuneration: This is a part time position with a FTE (full time equivalent) salary in the range of $1000 to $1200 a month (depending on experience) plus benefits. **POSITION FILLED** As The Gambia undertakes the groundbreaking process to hold perpetrators of human rights violations…
Experts Say Clean Cookstoves Are Essential to Protecting Forests and Health, Then What is the Hold Up?
By Tina S. Mehnpaine with New Narratives Deborah Ellis was like most Liberians when it came to cooking. She held on to her traditional cookpot, and changing to an imported cookstove was not an option. “I didn’t trust it,” Ellis says. But one day her traditional cookpot was damaged, and she decided to give a…
Liberia’s New Abortion Law Among Most Liberal in Africa, Faces Hurdle in Senate
Liberia’s new public health law, which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2022, is currently being debated in a special session by the Senate where it is facing a barrage of opposition from abortion opponents. A provision in the bill, which contains a range of other public health elements, would make abortion legal up to 18 weeks of pregnancy as long as it is done by a doctor, the most liberal in Africa….
Siaway Miapue
Siaway Miapue is an award-winning investigative journalist with seven years of experience. Known for producing compelling stories with a focus on health and environmental reporting, he was honored in 2023 as the recipient of Liberia’s first Young Journalist Award, funded by USAID Media Activities through Internews, a global development media organization. Miapue is currently a contributing…