MONROVIA — The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) and the Liberia NGOs Network (LINNK) have endorsed the appointment of Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia by President Joseph Boakai.
STAND’s Chairman, Mulbah Morlu, commended President Boakai for demonstrating the political will to address the culture of impunity in the country. Addressing a press conference in Monrovia, Mr. Morlu said the support for Counselor Massaquoi was based on a mandate from the various structures of STAND and over a dozen civil society organizations.
Morlu highlighted that corruption and violent crimes have plagued past and present governments, accelerating Liberia’s moral decline. He stated, “21 years have passed since the end of Liberia’s civil war, yet the country continues to grapple with significant national challenges, including violent crime and human rights abuses, which pose grave threats to its peace and stability under successive governments.”
Morlu explained that a longstanding reluctance to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable is at the core of this issue. “Liberia’s dark history of 14 years marked by brutality saw infamous warlords, many of whom have since entered politics, and their followers turning the nation into killing fields, resulting in the senseless deaths of a quarter-million innocent citizens, predominantly women and children.”
He added that Liberia established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) not only to facilitate national reconciliation but also to ensure justice for war and economic crimes. “The TRC fulfilled its mandate by recommending the establishment of a special court to prosecute those responsible for these heinous acts.”
Morlu criticized past administrations for failing to establish a judicial framework to address past abuses but praised President Boakai for taking crucial steps toward establishing a war and economic crimes court. According to him, this decision will address Liberia’s issue of impunity and present an opportunity for progress in a nation where war victims continue to suffer under corrupt economic governance.
“It is unfortunate that since the end of the civil war, Liberia’s democratic governance has been hindered by weak infrastructure and systemic institutional failures, despite the tragic loss of 250,000 innocent lives,” he noted. Despite some progress, international reports paint a troubling picture of escalating violence, drug abuse, corruption, and economic disparity.
Morlu emphasized that violent crime rates remain alarmingly high, exacerbated by a weak judiciary system and endemic poverty, particularly affecting the youth. He added that corruption has plagued all governments, past and present, worsening official corruption and fostering a culture of impunity.
“Data reveals that 70% of Liberia’s population lives in multidimensional poverty, compounded by rising youth unemployment, pervasive corruption, and steep inflation,” he said. The lack of trust in the judiciary further increases the potential for instability amid high living costs.
“Given the emerging regional threat of military coups,” Morlu continued, “it is imperative for Liberians to oppose unconstitutional and disruptive governance methods. Practical measures must be taken to safeguard and strengthen our democracy against external interference.”
Morlu outlined viable steps, including improving governance, ensuring equitable access to justice, enhancing public accountability, and guaranteeing freedom of speech. He stressed that these inadequacies before 1989 were exploited by the protagonists of the Liberian civil war and that the current government must seize the opportunity to build trust in the judicial system.
STAND calls on Liberians to reject undemocratic takeovers in West Africa and urges the government to prioritize socio-economic and human resource development. Morlu commended the Legislature’s leadership, noting the House’s resolution to establish war and economic crimes courts and the subsequent reconciliation by the Liberian Senate.
“By the power vested in us, the Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) and the Liberia NGOs Network (LINNK), comprising dozens of civil society organizations, declare support for the appointment of Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi as Executive Director of the office of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia,” Morlu concluded.
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