Can President Boakai deliver war crimes justice in Liberia?
Al JazeeraJoseph Boakai, who secured a narrow victory against incumbent George Weah in a November run-off election, is set to be inaugurated as Liberia’s new president on January 22. President-elect Boakai, who hails from Lofa, one of the counties most affected by the horrors of the civil war, has promised to end this reliance on foreign courts and bring justice and accountability back home by establishing a special war crimes tribunal in Liberia. As a result, proving war crimes committed during Liberia’s civil wars has become harder and harder over the years. With many perpetrators living alongside victims within communities, the scaling up of the Palava Hut Program could deliver justice and foster forgiveness and reconciliation for lesser crimes of the civil wars at a community level. Second, the new government could set up a reparation programme for the victims and survivors of Liberia’s civil wars, which could help further societal reconciliation and healing without burdening the state with hard-to-secure prosecutions.
History of this topic
‘Bring hard justice’: Liberia civil war survivors welcome war crimes court
Al Jazeera
Liberia passes a law setting up a long-awaited war crimes court
The IndependentLiberia passes a law setting up a long-awaited war crimes court
Associated Press
It is high time for Liberia to conduct its own war crimes trials
Al Jazeera
ICC finds Ugandan LRA commander guilty of war crimes
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