Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), and Thomas Yaya Nimely, of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), now senator of Grand Gedeh County, were among the 28 senators who affixed their signatures, marking a significant step towards accountability more than two decades after the end of the devastating civil conflict.

Liberia’s two brutal civil wars, which lasted from 1989 to 2003, killed an estimated 250,000 people, saw the use of child soldiers, and displaced thousands, some of whom have yet to return to the country. Despite international and domestic demand, Liberia has yet to try anyone for crimes committed during the bloody conflicts, which resulted in massacres, mutilation, rape, and cannibalism.

Nimba County, in Northern Liberia, the second largest county in Liberia, was considered Prince Johnson’s stronghold and has gained so much regard, even further being considered the political godfather of the country long after the war.

Johnson, a fierce critic of the establishment of the war and economic crimes, surprised many including residents of Karnplay when he was among the senators who overwhelmingly endorsed the establishment of a long-awaited war crimes court.

“I just want to praise God that the old man (Prince Johnson) took the bold steps to sign that document, we embraced the idea because everyone was looking at Prince Johnson.”

Sixty-one-year-old Sam Gayegumtoah’s countenance fell as he looked and slowly pointed to a mass grave in Karnplay zone 2 in which he said about a hundred people including his father were buried.

In the 1990s, the 62-year-old recalled, the murder of his father by men he said were believed to be Samuel Doe’s troops forced him to join Charles Taylor National Patriotic Front of Liberia, which fought alongside Prince Johnson against forces loyal to Samuel Doe.

But, two decades since the end of the wars, Sam is among many Liberians who hold the belief that impunity for war crimes and atrocities must end.

“Those who were involved that killed innocent civilians in Karnplay from that time up until now, nothing has been done about them, and so I embrace the idea of the war crimes court coming to Liberia.”

Sam Gayegumtoah told this paper that not only would the court put an end to war crimes impunity, but would also prevent the country from slacking back into hostilities and civil unrest noting that when people are prosecuted for their crimes but would set a precedent.

“The war crimes court is very important, and it would teach people lessons,” he said. Adding that “If people are guilty and sentenced for life or some years, people would not be able to bring war here anymore.

The former NPFL fighter also stressed that a war crimes court would set the pace to ending public corruption, and misuse of government’s resources and help to develop the country since corruption was one of the major factors that contributed to the country’s 14 years of brutal civil wars.

“When the war crimes court comes, people will not be able to steal the country’s money and use the big term embezzlement. If people steal, they will be carried to court and it will help to improve our country.

Gayegumtoah described the decision by warring faction leader Prince Jonson as a step in the right direction, but said the court process would benefit the country provided that the court does not target only one group of people or targeted at one person.

Jerome Titus, a youth in the area, agrees with Gayegumtoah that a war and economic crimes court is the way to go, adding that war perpetrators and financiers of the war atrocities must pay for their roles in the wars.

“I feel fine about the court coming to Liberia because during the past, people did so many things and nothing has happened to those people.”

Other residents in Karnplay who spoke to this paper said it has been several years of peace; therefore, setting up a war crimes court would be a recipe for conflict or one that could trigger political instability and further divide the country.

They want Joseph Boakai’s administration to abandon its plan of setting up a court fearing that Liberia’s peace is still fragile.

“I am not happy for war crimes court to come to Liberia, so those who sign the paper, they should go back and erase it and let the war crimes court business cease.” 52 years old Annie Gweh said.

Victoria Sonkalay, and Betty Nulay, petty traders, both share the thoughts that the new administration must focus its efforts on providing basic social services to improve the living conditions of the poor and unite the country rather than establishing a war crimes court.

Since the Liberian wars ended in 2003, not a single perpetrator of the war has been prosecuted within Liberia. Only a handful of Liberian war victims have been able to get justice following a few international war crimes trials in Europe of America where some former Liberian warlords have been tried for war crimes committed in Liberia.

Long-serving civil society and human rights advocate, Madam Yah Balleh, described a war and economic crimes court as a very important step to moving the country forward saying that justice for war crimes would help victims of the wars heal.

“Though we’ve passed the war, we have somehow forgotten but we still have the stigma and trauma,” she said adding that “ Liberia can never grow unless we start to hold people accountable.  I feel that war and economic crimes courts are very important.”

Responding to fears across some communities elsewhere in Nimba that the war and economic crimes court could risk or stir trouble, Yah Balleh Suah disagrees.

“It’s not about an individual, it’s about us Liberians because if justice is not done, there would be another group that would wake up some days and say we are going to get rid of that president, and we could go into another problem. So we should establish this court so that others will be deterred.”

In 2009, Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommended the establishment of a war crimes tribunal, but this has largely gone unheeded, particularly in the name of peacekeeping as many accused warlords remained influential in Liberia’s governance system.

One of the most prominent of these is current senator Prince Johnson, shown in a video sipping the beer of the country’s former president Samuel Doe while fighters under his command tortured Doe to death in 1990.

As mixed reactions heap debates throughout Nimba of Senator Prince Johnson affixing his signature to the resolution for the setting up of a war crimes court Liberians wait to see how soon a bill for the court comes fast.

The story of 20 years old Exodus Dolo

Each time Exodus dreams and finds himself developing aircraft, cars, and various electronic materials, and when he wakes up and repeats what he did in his dream, using rubber bottles and other waste materials, it turns out to work in real life.

Twenty-year-old Exodus Dolo, now a tenth-grade student in Gbarnga Bong County goes around collecting waste such as old car batteries, rubber bottles, wires, old light bobs, and many disposed materials transforming them into airplanes, transmitters, cars, and projectors. After several days of work, and connecting various wires following his completion of building the object, the cars and planes he makes out of water materials do move.

“When I go to bed to sleep, I sometimes see myself fixing cars, planes, and other things, and when I wake up; I can write it down and then begin to put it into practice and I can work. I need support to be able to put my country out to the world and help my country.”

Liberia’s youthful population accounts for over fifty percent of the country’s five million people. However, unemployment among Liberian youths remains high while an undocumented number of Liberian youths are endowed with untapped talents and the necessary support to enhance their skills to fill the huge unemployment gap and build a workforce for the crucial employment sector.

In Gbarnga Bong County, twenty-year-old Exodus Dolo collects wastes materials from dump sites to create his own electronic devices such as Bluetooth, cars, planes, projectors, and transmitters among other things.

After assembling the collected trashed rubber, cartoons, connecting wires, and shaping them into trucks, and planes, Exodus uses an old black car battery, making the cars and plane move on the group

Now in the tenth grade, Exodus dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer. Nevertheless, life for him from his birth, his mother told him was marred by rejection, and the poverty condition of his single mother makes his dream realization far from over.

“I do not know where my dad is. I live with my mother, and my mother told me that my father denied the pregnancy when she was pregnant with me.” Exodus said as his facial appearance dropped looking down to the ground.

In many rural and semi-urban communities, Exodus is just one of the many undocumented and unsupported young Liberians with untapped talents, whose parents’ impoverished conditions cannot afford to improve nor provide the necessary opportunity to advance their extraordinary talents.

Despite the circumstances surrounding Exodus’ birth and his mother’s impoverished condition, he is not resting on his laureate.

Exodus’ talent has gained much admiration in the neighborhood. Gibson Gogo, one of Exodus’ neighbors told this paper with the right support to Exodus, he could be of great asset to Liberia in contributing to the innovation and automobile industry sector.

“His talent is amazing,” Gibson said. Adding that “sometimes we sit and say the white people are making witch, it’s not all about witchcraft. Exodus, takes cartoons, waste materials, and put wires making the connection to the power source and it starts and moves, therefore, we need to utilize these kinds of skills to develop Liberia.”

Gibson believes that if people like Exodus are spotted and provided the right opportunity, it would contribute to job creation and empowerment among the country’s already high youth unemployed.

Liberia’s unemployment rate in 2023 declined to 2.85 percent. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher unemployment rate than the preceding years.

According to a 2023 global multidimensional poverty index shows that 52 percent of the population live in poverty, below two dollars, fifteen cents per day.

Employers and companies in Liberia including many businesses endure challenging economic times and struggle to recruit the right talents. Addressing the skills shortage is a part of the high unemployment.

Activists argue that if the national government and employers start identifying and nurturing untapped talents among the country’s young population, it could significantly reduce human resource capacity gaps.

“In Africa, and Liberia we have talents,” Said Awalayeh Mar, adding that, “Some people are born with these talents, and in the case of  Exodus he already has the knowledge, so all he needs is money and a greater opportunity.”

Exodus appeals to the national government and mechanical engineering companies for support to fulfill his dreams of establishing car manufacturing in Liberia.

“I am asking for support. The materials I am presently using, I find from dump sites for now, but I need the advanced ones so that I can fix (it) planes or cars and someone enters into it and move it.” Exodus pleaded saying.

Exodus Dolo eagerly seeks assistance to realize his dream of creating Liberia’s inaugural plane or car. He relies on skills he claims are inspired by his dreams, yet the speed and source of forthcoming aid remain uncertain.

This story is produced by  FeJAL Mentorship Fellow, through the support of Internews USAID, Year 3 Media Activity Reporting  Program. I am Susanna Reeds reporting.

— FeJAL’s Media Monitoring Report indicates, paints an unfavorable picture of women’s coverage, representation in media

The Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) on Friday, July 12, launched its latest media monitoring report focused on promoting gender equity in media coverage. The report, conducted under the Internews-USAID Media Activity, analyzed the representation of women in the Liberian media across various thematic areas.

The report, with the theme, “Inclusive Narratives, Diverse Perspectives: Promote Gender Equity in Media Coverage,” was produced to determine the gender gap within the media landscape in Liberia, focusing on Montserrado as a case study.

The report highlighted the prevalence of women as news sources in narratives on gender-based violence. At the same time, male voices dominated coverage in areas such as politics, sports, and the economy, indicating a gender disparity in news representation.

The report’s launch, held at iCampus on Carey Street in Central Monrovia, brought together partners, stakeholders, many media houses, and journalists to discuss the issue.

Laura T. Golakeh, the Deputy Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), commended FeJAL and its partners for their commitment to the project. She addressed the challenges faced by women journalists and emphasized the need for equitable representation in the media landscape.

Golakeh stressed the importance of addressing issues such as gender-based violence and sexual harassment in newsrooms. She encouraged female journalists to actively participate in diverse reporting areas and advocated for the promotion of women’s voices in media content.

She expressed the Gender Ministry’s commitment to working with FeJAL to support female journalists in Liberia.

She emphasized the importance of encouraging women to engage in reporting on topics such as economics, sports, and politics, rather than stepping back and allowing male counterparts to dominate these areas, thereby expanding their potential to cover a diverse range of stories.

The Deputy Minister mentioned that the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection is dedicated to collaborating with FeJAL to promote equal representation and active participation of women in the Liberian media landscape. In her statement, she expressed a strong commitment to addressing issues related to gender-based violence, and sexual harassment in newsrooms and ensuring that female journalists are provided with opportunities to report stories based on professional merit rather than personal relationships with male executives. The Ministry affirmed its ongoing support for female journalists to work in a safe environment and contribute effectively to the development of Liberia.

Lien Bach, Chief of Party at Internews, highlighted the organization’s advocacy for equal representation of women in media and urged media institutions to include more women’s voices in their content.

Dwede Tarpeh, Head of the Gender Department at the Embassy of Sweden, emphasized the significance of inclusive media coverage and accountability in storytelling for the strength of democracy.

FeJAL program officer Rita Jlogbe presented the report on the ten media institutions, including ELBC, OK F.M, Truth FM, LUX F.M., and Prime F.M. while print covered: Daily Observer, Front Page Africa, Women Voices, Inquirer, and New Dawn Newspapers.

“During our findings, we captured 1,689 stories and out of that number, only 19 percent of the stories were captured from news sources, while 17 percent of the stories were reported by female journalists. Today’s program recognizes three institutions that performed well during the assessment, and they are: OK F.M. as the institution with the highest number of female newscasters, ELBC as the institution with the highest number of female sources in their news stories, and Women Voices, as the institution with the highest number of news sources and number of stories done on women issues,” she said.

The launch of the media monitoring report signifies a step towards promoting gender equity and diverse perspectives in the Liberian media landscape. The collaborative efforts of FeJAL, Internews, and other partners aim to create a more inclusive and representative media environment in Liberia. Participants at the event expressed their commitment to upholding these values and working towards a positive change in the media industry.