Address ‘Alarming Human Rights Concerns’ in Liberia -CMC Queries Boakai Administration, Taking Cue from US Report

The country has gone virtually silent since serious reports about human rights violations, including arbitrary killings, torture and other inhumane treatment in Liberia were reported by the US Department of State. Even the most notable civil society groups are still snoring to such a grave report. Perhaps they are still reading it. But not all Liberians reading the US Human Rights Reports on the shelf. One of the country’s youngest political party, the ever-alert Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has sounding an alarm, and is calling on President Boakai “to treat this report not as an inconvenience to be downplayed, but as an urgent action plan, demanding a set of actions”. The Analyst reports.

The Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has expressed deep concern over the findings of the Liberia 2024 Human Rights Report, released by the U.S. Department of State.

According to the party, the report confirms what many Liberians already know under the current administration: serious human rights violations persist, and justice remains elusive for far too many.

“From reports of arbitrary killings and police brutality to restrictions on media freedom, unsafe working conditions, and the denial of workers’ right to unionize, this government has failed to uphold the rights guaranteed under our constitution and international law,” the CMC indicated, adding that “prolonged pre-trial detention, the misuse of bail, and political interference in the media are not signs of a democracy on the rise, but of a state drifting further from the rule of law.”

The US State Department’s findings are not foreign interference, the party maintained, asserting that “they reflect what Liberians experience daily”.

CMC called on the Government of Liberia to treat this report not as an inconvenience to be downplayed, but as an urgent action plan, demanding what it called an end impunity, holding security forces accountable for brutality and human rights abuses.

The party further demands: “End arbitrary arrests, enforce arraignment deadlines, and establish stronger oversight of detention practices. Establish an independent war and economic crimes court, ensuring robust domestic accountability. Guarantee press freedom and stop harassment of journalists. Repeal labour laws, allowing all workers, including public servants, to unionize and exercise free speech, without politically motivated dismissals.

“Enforce protections for women and children, permanent FGM legislative ban, with real penalties, community education, and survivor support. Invest in climate resilience and environmental protection as a matter of national security.”

CMC says the people of Liberia deserve a government that protects their rights, not one that erodes them, and it is promising to will continue to champion reforms and work with all Liberians committed to building a just, free, and democratic nation.

The Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) is the united voice of the Liberian people, rising to reclaim our nation’s dignity, restore economic independence, and ignite national pride.