- In 2022, seven in 10 Liberians (70%) said the government should establish a war crimes court. But 61% said Liberians need to forget the crimes committed during the civil war and move on (Figure 1).
- In 2024, most Liberians (84%) say they have heard about the new government’s plan to establish a war and economic crimes court, while only one-sixth (16%) say they are unaware of it (Figure 2).
- More than three-quarters (78%) of citizens think that the war and economic crimes court will make it possible for the country to hold people accountable for crimes committed during the war, while two in 10 (19%) “disagree” or “strongly disagree” (Figure 3). o Citizens with post-secondary education (88%) and urban residents (82%) are especially likely to believe that the court will hold wrongdoers accountable (Figure 4).
Most Liberians say they have heard about the new government’s plans to establish a war and economic crimes court and think that such a court will further accountability for crimes committed during the civil war, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.
While Liberia has enjoyed more than two decades of peace, activists say that atrocities committed during the country’s civil war (1989-2003) remain unpunished. President Joseph Boakai has characterised his executive order to establish a war and economic crimes court as a crucial step toward accountability.
In a 2022 Afrobarometer survey, more than two-thirds of Liberians supported the establishment of a war crimes court, even though a clear majority thought Liberians needed to forget the crimes committed during the civil war.
The latest Afrobarometer survey, from 2024, finds that Liberians are convinced of the war and economic crimes court’s utility: More than three-fourths say that the court will make it possible to hold those who committed crimes during the war accountable for their actions.