President Joseph Boakai has extended the work of the office preparing Liberia’s long-promised war and economic crimes court for another year. Executive Order No. 164, signed on Saturday, renews the mandate of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court until 30 April 2027. The office was first set up in May 2024 and extended in April 2025. Its task is to lay the groundwork for two new courts: a Special War Crimes Court and a National Anti-Corruption Court. According to the order, the office has already drafted bills to establish both courts after consulting local and international partners. Over the next year it will seek funding, advise lawmakers on the draft laws, and draw up plans for how the courts would run.
The office will receive $2m annually through the Ministry of Justice, paid in quarterly instalments of $500,000. It must submit progress reports to the president every three months. A final report and transition plan are due by 15 April 2027. President Boakai said the renewal showed Liberia’s commitment to “transitional justice, accountability” and the fight against impunity and corruption. Liberia endured two civil wars between 1989 and 2003 in which an estimated 250,000 people were killed. Calls for a war crimes court have persisted since the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended prosecutions in 2009. No one has been tried in Liberia for war crimes committed during the conflict.
