MONROVIA – Dispute slow and sluggish start, apparently facing support drought, the long-sought War and Economic Crimes Court still haunts the conscience of the nation, and appeals to the sensibility and admiration of many Liberians, specifically for nongovernmental actors and ordinary citizens. And the momentum to kick-start is still simmering, not petering out, at all. At the launch of the National Outreach Campaign by the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia, held July 19, 2025, Press Union of Liberia president Julius Kanobah re-affirmed the Union’s support to the Courts, pointing out how poverty and impunity continue to bedevil the nation. The Analyst reports.
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has reaffirmed its overwhelming endorsement of the work of the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.
Making the disclosure last week, the Union’s president Julius Kanobah said poverty is rife, and impunity continues to thrive in the country, which is why the Union has since January 2025 been actively engaged with OWECC-L and transitional justice actors.
He said since the late 1970s, about two generations of Liberians — in majority — continue to suffer in their own country, which is rich in natural resources.
“Poverty is rife. Impunity thrives. The cry for accountability is yet far too long. Justice for thousands of victims who lost their lives, and survivors of the armed conflict remains a dream,” the PUL president said.
According to him, acts of corruption continue to persist in postwar Liberia, and even with three postwar democratically elected administrations, historical legacies of structural violence continue.
“Ending impunity, advancing accountability, promoting national healing and unity, for wartime and post-war era violations of human rights and abuse of office, therefore requires a genuine partnership of all for justice for all,” he said. “To this end, the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) overwhelmingly endorses the work of the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.”
He recalled: “The causes and consequences of the armed conflict are well established. Governance failures underpinned by exclusion and corruption featured prominently.
Our violent armed conflict cost the lives of about 250-thousand people. During the armed conflict, people were killed. Our formal economy collapsed. A system of wartime economy developed, principally for the plundering and abuse of our natural resources. For those who survived the armed conflict, memories remain fresh. The scars of the armed conflict remain pronounced in Liberia.”
“In pledging our unflinching support,” Kanobah said, the “PUL welcomes and is pleased to join this National Outreach Campaign aimed at expanding public understanding and engagement about the work of the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.”
He noted that the ‘National Outreach Campaign’ represents an important milestone in elevating and entrenching the conversations and activities leading to the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court and the National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.
“This outreach campaign also aims to build legitimacy, trust and confidence in the processes leading to the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court and the Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia,” he said, adding: “To this end, we call for both public, international, and the Government of Liberia’s support for the work of OWECC. OWECC itself is NOT the court for war and economic crimes or for corruption. OWECC is the means, paving the road to accountability and justice for all.”
“Support to OWECC by the National Government through the Executive and Legislative branches of Government must NOT only be in words but in concrete moral and financial resources.
To our colleagues in journalism and media, we thank you for the work you continue to do,” Kanobah further said.
“As we report on OWECC and transitional justice processes, we should remind ourselves that respect for and adherence to ethical and responsible journalism must remain the hallmark of our profession. Let’s ensure accurate, balanced, credible, diverse, fair, impartial and responsible reporting in our publications, broadcast, commentary and analyses.”
He told the leadership of the OWECC: “Please count on the media not only for promotional stories, but for critical, impartial and robust journalism in the interest of the public – the people of Liberia.”
He stressed how the PUL promotes and defends journalists’ and media rights, freedom of speech and expression, and the development of greater democracy in Liberia, being the self-regulatory governance mechanism of journalism and media, the PUL is also essentially an advocacy institution on governance and development in Liberia.