SUP Backs July 17 Protest, Wants Koung Probed and Police Chief Fired

Published: July 8, 2026

MONROVIA – The Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) has endorsed STAND’s planned July 17 nationwide “Lead or Leave” protest, while calling for Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung to submit to an independent international investigation into Liberia’s drug crisis and demanding the dismissal of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman over the handling of the US$19.2 million cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport (RIA).

The demands were contained in a statement issued Tuesday, July 7, in which the student movement accused the government of failing to address worsening economic hardship and questioned the credibility of the ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

SUP said it was joining the demonstration organized by the Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), led by Mulbah K. Morlu Jr., because of what it described as the government’s inability to respond to the country’s deteriorating social and economic conditions.

“In fulfilment of our historical and sacred responsibility, the Vanguard Student Unification Party officially and unapologetically endorses the July 17 ‘Lead or Leave’ nationwide protest organized by STAND,” the statement said.

According to SUP, its endorsement reflects “a mutual commitment to addressing the unbearable economic and social realities that face ordinary Liberians.”

The student organization argued that Liberians continue to struggle with rising prices, unemployment, a weak healthcare system and declining educational standards.

“Prices of basic goods and services have skyrocketed, unemployment is normalized, the healthcare system is hopeless, the educational system is weak, but the greedy government remains arrogant and unresponsive,” the statement read.

SUP also urged progressive organizations, student groups and civil society organizations to join the July 17 protest, describing it as an opportunity for citizens to demand greater government accountability.

Beyond its endorsement of the protest, the student movement called on Vice President Koung to voluntarily submit himself to what it described as an independent, international and unrestricted investigation into allegations surrounding Liberia’s drug crisis.

“If the Vice President is innocent of the many grave allegations, he must welcome a transparent, multi-agency examination composed of foreign forensic experts, regional security bodies and independent civil society observers,” the statement said.

SUP argued that allegations involving senior public officials should be fully investigated because of the implications drug trafficking poses to Liberia’s national security and international reputation.

“Executive authority, political influence or constitutional immunity must never be weaponized as a shield against legitimate criminal investigations,” the statement declared.

The organization also demanded the immediate dismissal of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, saying it has lost confidence in the Liberia National Police’s investigation into the cocaine seizure.

According to SUP, the police report contains “glaring omissions, unexplained contradictions and unresolved questions.”

The group questioned the reported 48-hour delay in securing the suspicious cargo after authorities allegedly identified red flags and said investigators failed to adequately explain alleged financial and digital evidence linked to the case.

SUP further argued that although five suspects have been charged and four others remain at large, investigators failed to identify any public officials, airport employees or security personnel who may have facilitated the movement of the shipment.

“These omissions raise serious concerns about the thoroughness, independence and credibility of the investigation. A transnational drug operation of this magnitude could not reasonably occur without examining the possible involvement of state actors,” the statement said.

Maintaining that the police investigation remains incomplete, SUP renewed its call for an independent, impartial and internationally supported investigation into the cocaine seizure, insisting that only a transparent process can restore public confidence in the case.