War Crimes Court puts Senate in turmoil 

Some of Liberia’s ex-rebel leaders have been elected to top positions, including in the Liberian Senate. They hate war and economic crimes court advocacy, and one of their tactics is to instill fear that establishing the court would return the country to war.

By Ethel A. Tweh

Monrovia, Liberia, 8 March 2024: The Liberian Senate went helter-skelter on Thursday, 7 March 2024, upon receiving a resolution from the House of Representatives to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court.

The resolution from the House of Representatives surfaced on the Liberian Senate flow Thursday after 40 representatives signed it earlier on Tuesday this week to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.

Senate secretary Nangbolor F. Sengeh read the resolution after it was received by the Liberian Senate Thursday.

Efforts to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court have received the backing of some lawmakers from the House of Representatives, with the signing of a resolution that is hoped could lead to some legislation.

If legislation grows out of this resolution and is passed by both legislative chambers, it will boost President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s quest to establish a war and economic crimes court.

There remains division among Liberians on whether to establish the war and economic crimes court, over 20 years since peace was restored to the war-ravaged West African Country.

Over 250,000 Liberians were killed in the conflict, millions were displaced, and properties worth millions of dollars were destroyed.

But suspects of war and economic crimes and their loyalists are defending impunity, while other Liberians continue to seek justice to deter future senseless civil crises.

Some ex-rebel leaders have been elected to top positions, including in the Liberian Senate. They hate war and economic crimes court advocacy, and one of their tactics is to instill fear that establishing the court would return the country to war.

While the Senate Secretary was reading the resolution, Maryland County Senator Gble-bo Browne moved that the communication be sent to the Committee on Judiciary and National Security for a report to the plenary in two weeks.

In reaction to the senator’s motion, Bomi County Senator Edwin Snowe and River Gee County Senator Francis Dopoe described the issue of the War and Economic Crimes Court as a national security.

The two senators said this issue should be given vital attention, suggesting that the committee’s review of the instrument should be reduced to a week instead of two.

Following the proposals, the Liberian Senate became emotionally charged, with almost every senator giving diverse views.

The political atmosphere in the Senate led the Senate President Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence to call for an executive consultation about what should be done.

A few minutes after their leadership consultation, Pro-Tempore Kanrga-Lawrence announced that the resolution should be sent to both the Committees on Judiciary and National Security as proffered earlier by Senator Brown.

Before sending the instrument to the relevant committees, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon sought clarification as to whether it was a bill, a petition, or a resolution.

“I want us to be clear on this. Is the document sent to this Senate from the House of Representatives a bill, or is the Legislature petitioning itself or a resolution?” Dillon asked.

But Senator Brown clarified that what the Senate has received was a resolution and not a bill or a petition.

At the same time, River Gee County Senator Jonathan Boye-Charles Sogbie informed the body that there are different kinds of resolutions.

He named them as simple, concurrence, and joint resolutions. As such, he inquired which of these resolutions the Senate had received from the House of Representatives. 

He explained that a simple resolution affects one house of the legislature, a concurrence resolution affects both houses, and both houses simultaneously decide on a joint resolution. 

But Pro-Tempore Karnga-Lawrence clarified that it is a simple resolution. 

Meanwhile, three members of the Liberian Senate are opposing the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.

The opposing Senators are immediate past Pro-Tempore Albert Chie of Grand Kru County, Prince Y. Johnson of Nimba County, and Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh County, respectively.

Johnson and Nimely are former Liberian warlords, while former Pro-Tempore Chie was placed on U.S. sanction last December for his alleged involvement in significant corruption by abusing his position through soliciting, accepting, and offering bribes.