- A majority (58%) of Liberians say it is more important for citizens to be able to hold the government accountable than for the government to “get things done,” a 9- percentage-point decrease compared to 2022 (67%).
- In 2022, seven in 10 Liberians (70%) said the government should establish a war crimes court. o But 61% respondents said Liberians need to forget the crimes committed during the civil war and move on.
- In 2024, most Liberians (84%) say they have heard about the new government’s plan to establish a war and economic crimes court.
- 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 civil war.
The 2003 Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended Liberia’s civil war, which began in 1989 and was marked by widespread human rights violations and the collapse of state institutions. As part of its transitional justice framework, the agreement called for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to promote national healing, prevent future conflict, and recommend actions to address past atrocities.
Established in 2005, the TRC was mandated to investigate and document gross human rights violations committed during the 14-year civil war. In 2009, the TRC recommended the establishment of a war and economic crimes court (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia, 2009). Liberia is a signatory to international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions, that oppose war crimes and crimes against humanity.
However, successive administrations led by presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah made little progress toward implementing this recommendation, despite repeated calls for justice by war victims (Wleh, 2024). Analysts argue that political will was lacking, as some individuals named in the TRC report have held or continue to hold elected office. During a 2024 visit to Liberia, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack noted, “There has been no accountability here on the criminal side, or the civil side, for those who have been most responsible for those abuses” (FrontPage Africa, 2024).
Liberia’s peaceful election and political transition in 2024 brought renewed momentum. In March, the House of Representatives passed a resolution supporting the establishment of a war and economic crimes court. This was followed in May by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s Executive Order 131, which created an Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court to develop a legal and institutional framework for the court, supported by public consultations and outreach.
Findings from Afrobarometer’s Round 10 survey show that most citizens are aware of the government’s plan to establish a war and economic crimes court, and most believe the court will help ensure accountability for Liberians.
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