Africa-Press – Liberia. President Joseph Boakai signing the first executive order that established the Office of War and Economic Crimes of Liberia in May 2024. Credit: Executive Mansion.
Joseph Boakai, Liberia’s President, has renewed the mandate of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia and given the court a six fold increase in annual budget, quieting growing concern about the government’s commitment to the court after numerous funding delays. The president’s action will give new wind to court advocates who were fearful of the court’s future after the US government’s decision to cut almost all international aid. The US was expected to be a major funder of the court.
In an executive order issued Wednesday evening, two days before the last order expires, Mr. Boakai increased the Office’s annually budget to $US2 million, a huge increase over the $US313,000 allocated in the 2025 national budget. It is also double the $1 million budget submitted to the president by the head of the Office of the courts, Dr. Jallah Barbu, on Thursday.
“It shall be funded through a special budgetary process with an annual appropriation of $US2 million, payable in equal quarterly amounts of $US500,000 directly into its bank account(s) at the beginning of each quarter, by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning,” said the order. The presidential directive also said the Office “shall submit quarterly operational and financial reports to the office of the President through the Minister of Justice” and that “all such reports shall be subject to independent verifications and audits by the agencies of government authorized to conduct such activities.”
The dramatic gesture by the president was welcome by advocates for the special war crimes court and national anti-corruption court. There had been growing concerns about the president’s silence on the renewal of the executive order and calls for more funding for the Office. The announcement also followed meetings between US Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner, and Dr. Barbu and his team and Cllr. Oswald Tweh, Liberia’s justice minister.
On the question of support for the court following Ambassador Toner’s meeting with Dr. Barbu, the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy, Raymond Stephens said in an email to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives that “Since the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court executive order was announced, the U.S. has supported the initiative with three sets of technical visits. We will continue to stay engaged and explore possibilities for future assistance.” Stephens said the Ambassador “expressed his hope that the Executive Order extending the Office’s mandate would be signed soon, so it’s important work can continue.”
Advocates are excited that the president has renewed the mandate of the Office.
“This is a big victory for the victims and survivors of this nation,” Mr. Peterson Sonyah, executive director of the Liberia Massacre Survivors association, one of Liberia’s largest victims’ and survivors groups. Mr. Sonyah was speaking in a phone interview to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives. “We welcome it. We want to thank President Joseph Nyumah Boakai that he always listens to us. As I speak to you, we are celebrating. The $US2 million is going to be a very good relief to the office. And we victims and survivors applaud the president for that. We are very much happy. We are happy to the extent that we are out of words.”
Mr. Adama Dempster, another leading advocate for the courts, also hailed the government’s move.
“The renewal of Executive Order 131 is absolutely crucial for Liberia’s war crimes efforts,” said Mr. Dempster by a WhatsApp message. “It ensures the continuation of essential preparatory work, facilitates international cooperation, and signals the government’s ongoing commitment to justice and accountability for the horrific crimes committed during the nation’s civil wars.”
“I think it’s a great step forward,” said Mr. John Stewart, an ex-commissioner of Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “That is an indication of seriousness and commitment to the process, and we hope our partners will be inspired and encouraged to provide support in this direction.”
Dr. Jallah Barbu, executive director of the Office, who has consistently complained about the lack of funds to operate, had projected a nearly budget of $US1 million. He said the new budget was “a full relief” to him and his team who were “reenergized” to work with “robust engagements with civil society and close engagement with the governments.”
“We are looking forward to ensuring that what his supposed to happen for the people of Liberia and the victims will happen,” said Dr. Barbu in a short phone interview late Wednesday evening.
Dr. Jallah Barbu, executive director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court, co-chairing a stakeholders’ meeting earlier on Wedneday before the mandate of his Office was renewed by President Boakai.
The Office is key to Liberia’s transitional justice process and is tasked with the responsibility to “investigate, design, prescribe the design and methodology, mechanisms and processes” for the courts. Its mandate is to also determine the duration, location, security, budgeting and salaries and staff for the courts. The Office is to also “liaise with international partners in sourcing funding for the Special War Crimes court of Liberia.”
The US was supposed to be one of such partners, but President Donald Trump, in his second term, has carried out sweeping aid cuts that have put a cloud over its potential funding to the court. Further worrying for Liberia, the administration has shut down the Office of Global Criminal Justice, which has been key to the advocacy for funding to the Office. In an interview earlier on Wednesday before the mandate of the Office was renewed, Dr. Barbu said he was upbeat the courts would be funded, particularly by the government. He projected that the war crimes court office alone would cost “at least $30 million between now and the establishment.”
“Meaning, when the court is established and operational lines from the beginning, we will be at that amount,” said Dr. Barbu. Some estimates have put the costs of the court at $60 million. “How the court moves forward, is some other strategy we have to put in place.”
He said he didn’t want to “attach a figure” to the national anti-corruption court” as “a process is going on” and that they were “working with the LACC and other anti-graft institutions to make a determination.”
Advocates for the courts, including Madam Leymah Gbowee, a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, have been among those who have repeatedly urged the government to take the lead in funding the court.
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel laureate in her Monrovia office this week
“If let’s say, for example, the budget for the court is $US5 million, let the government put $US3 down,” said Madam Gbowee in an FPA/NN interview a day before the presidential directive was issued. A towering figure in Liberia’s advocacy for justice, peace and democracy, Madam Gbowee led a non-violent women movement that compelled warring factions in Liberia’s to sign a peace agreement that ended the country’s second civil war nearly 22 years ago. She said courts were important to end impunity which has said had “taken a glorious seat in Liberia” and urged the government to give a bigger share of support for the courts. “And I’m sure by that moment, donors will be more than happy now to start coming and stepping in. But everywhere in the world, there’s funding challenge before our traditional allies would do it, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. But now everyone has different priorities in the world.”
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