By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives

More than three quarters ofLiberians say the war crimes court, set in motion by President Joseph Boakai after his inauguration last year, will make accountability for war-related crimes possible according to the latest survey released this month by Afrobarometer, a pan-African research organization.

The survey found 78 percent of Liberians believe the court will bring accountability, a jump from the 2022 survey when 70 per cent of Liberians expressed support for the court. The results may reflect growing confidence among Liberians in the government’s commitment to the process despite a number of missteps. That was underscored this month by the president’s announcement of a seven-fold increase in funding to the Office for the War and Economics Crimes Court.

“Confidence that the court will make accountability possible increases with respondents’ level of education ranging from 63 percent of those with no formal schooling to 88 percent of those with post-secondary qualifications,” according to the report. “Rural residents (72 percent) and well-off citizens (67 percent) are less likely to express such confidence than urbanites (82 percent) and those experiencing lived poverty (77 percent-81 percent).”