Published: August 3, 2026
MONROVIA – The Alternative National Youth Congress (ANYC) has intensified pressure on the Boakai administration over Liberia’s escalating drug crisis, calling for an independent international investigation into alleged high-level links to narcotics trafficking while accusing the government of failing to protect the country’s young people from what it described as an unfolding national emergency.
Presenting its July State of the Youth Report at the organization’s national headquarters in Congo Town on Saturday, the youth movement alleged that Liberia has become increasingly vulnerable to powerful drug networks, claiming that institutions responsible for national security have failed to respond effectively to the growing threat.
The Congress argued that the seizure of narcotics reportedly valued at approximately US$500 million represents more than a criminal operation, describing it as a direct attack on Liberia’s future.
“Half a billion dollars’ worth of narcotics have been intercepted in our country. This is not a mere crime. It is a war against the young people of this country. A war against the very soul of our republic,” the Congress declared.
The youth organization said its greatest concern goes beyond the quantity of drugs intercepted, arguing that allegations surrounding officials within the Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), and National Security Agency (NSA) have further weakened public confidence in the country’s anti-drug campaign.
“What is most terrifying is not the drugs themselves. It is the betrayal of those sworn to protect us. The institutions meant to guard the nation are now implicated in guarding the cartel,” the group asserted.
The Congress also referenced ongoing public discussions and media reports involving officials whose names have surfaced in connection with drug investigations while raising concerns over recent remarks made by the President’s son, Jojo Boakai.
According to the organization, Jojo Boakai’s public statement that he would not protect any friend involved in drug trafficking warrants further clarification.
“His words are not a principled stand but a reactive measure after the scandal has already come to light. By admitting that he knew of such dealings and failed to act immediately, his declaration becomes nothing more than an attempt to distance himself from a crisis that is unfolding,” the Congress alleged.
The organization further claimed that reports linking individuals close to senior government officials to narcotics investigations reinforce concerns about what it described as a compromised national security structure.
“When the guardians of the republic become the gatekeepers of cartels, the nation itself is in terror,” the statement continued.
Expressing little confidence in the government’s ability to investigate the allegations independently, the Congress appealed to international partners—particularly the United States Government—to support efforts aimed at uncovering those responsible for the alleged drug network.
“We do not trust this government to investigate itself. We do not trust compromised hands to clean their own rot. We call upon the United States Government to take charge of this investigation. Let the truth be exposed. Let the guilty be named, and let the cartel be uprooted from the heart of our governance,” the organization declared.
The Congress also criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, arguing that the administration has not acted decisively despite mounting public concern over narcotics trafficking.
Referring to the President’s decades of public service, the group maintained that experience alone is insufficient without decisive leadership.
“The President told us he has 42 years of experience. But experience is not tested in comfort; it is tested in crisis. Leadership is not a title, Mr. President. It is a responsibility. When young people are being poisoned, when the borders are being opened to smugglers, leadership demands action,” the statement read.
The youth movement urged the President to demonstrate stronger leadership, warning that history would judge his administration by how it responds to the country’s growing drug crisis.
Beyond narcotics trafficking, the Congress questioned the transparency of the reported US$10 million Foya District road project in Lofa County.
The organization said it previously petitioned the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to investigate the project but claimed no visible action has been taken.
“The money belongs to the people, and the people demand answers. Order the project, Mr. President. Expose the truth. Hold the guilty accountable. Liberia cannot be a playground for thieves while her children starve,” the Congress said.
The Congress argued that corruption and narcotics trafficking are interconnected threats that undermine public institutions, discourage investment, weaken the economy and endanger Liberia’s future.
According to the group, drug cartels are allegedly targeting schools and vulnerable communities while threatening legitimate trade and commerce.
“They are poisoning our schools, targeting our children, and deliberately weakening the next generation. If we allow cartels to control our ports and trade routes, they will dictate the very terms of our survival,” the statement said.
The Alternative National Youth Congress concluded by calling on Liberians to unite in demanding accountability from public officials, insisting that the country’s youth will not remain silent in the face of what it described as a national crisis.
“The young people of Liberia will not allow drugs to destroy our future. We will not allow corruption to steal our resources. We will not allow betrayal to define our republic. We call upon the President to act—and act now. We call upon the international community to intervene, and we call upon the people of Liberia to rise, resist, and demand accountability,” the organization declared.
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