Liberia, Guinea Run Away from Chairiff’s Case? -Fail to Appear in ECOWAS Court, as Applicant’s Lawyers In High Spirits

MONROVIA – What is described as a raw seizure of Guinean national Ibrahim Khalif Chairrif by both Liberian and Guinean government authorities and his speculated imprisonment in an unknown location is becoming a thorn in the flesh of both government, as the matter landed in the arms of ECOWAS Court. As THE ANALYST reports, there are indications that the governments are running away from judiciary scrutiny while the Chairiff languishes in confinement.
THE ANALYST is getting reports that the governments of Liberia and Guinea are evading a judicial process intended to give justice to an ECOWAS citizen they are holding captive perhaps in their bids to resolve conflagration between them over the citizen.
The two countries were running on collision course when it was reported earlier that Guinea’s government had accused Liberia of harboring mercenaries allegedly recruited to destabilize the junta regime.
It can be recalled that the Voice of America in October that Guinea believed its former President Alpha Condé who was overthrown in that country was amassing fighters in Liberia to make a military comeback. The diplomatic row heated up, but died down when the Liberia turned to Guinea when a national of that country who was in Liberia and also accused as a dissent was turned over.
The disappearance of the Chairiff from public glare prompted lawyers to go to the ECOWAS Court, but it seems the two governments are shying away and defense lawyers are celebrating, as
a big day for the rule of law and accountability, the case: “Ibrahim Chairiff v. Republic of Liberia and the Republic of Guinea” took place yesterday, May 16, 2025 at ECOWAS Community Court of Justice(ECCJ) sitting in its Extraordinary External Session in Lagos, Nigeria.
“Strangely, the Government of the Republic of Liberia and the military Junta in Guinea serving as the 1st and 2nd Respondents, were conspicuously absent,” said a source familiar with the case. “The Respondents provided no reasons for their unexcused absence from today’s session, even though they were served and returned served with the Court’s notice of assignment as indicated by the Registry’s returns.”
Chairiff lawyers, Cllr. Kabineh M. Ja’neh and Sayma Syrenius Cephus, say they see the two government’s unexcused absence amounting to an affront, and apparently construed as a default or a waiver of oral argument, and potentially an abandonment of the case.
In a rather scathing opening argument, interspersed with an avalanche of legal citations ranging from ECOWAS protocols and articles to the African charter, and other international legal instruments as well as the United Nations Convention on forced disappearance, Cllr. Cephus told the court that the life of his client is in danger and his whereabouts are unknown.
He described as a state sponsored “act of kidnapping and forced disappearance” of a community citizen while in the custody of the 1st Respondent under the cover of darkness on November 3, 2024, and therefore called on the court to compel the Respondents to produce the living body of his client.
He said the applicant (Chairiff) was in detention under the custody of the 1st Respondent’s court when, without the knowledge of the court and the judge presiding therein, his client was taken out under the cover of darkness to an unknown destination where his fate remains unknown.
“We plead with you to use the law to find our client because there’s nowhere else we can go to make this passionate appeal for his release and safety”, Cllr. Cephus added.
He said the crime of insurrection for which the applicant was arrested is a political offense which under the Criminal Procedure Code of Liberia, is not one of those offenses for which a suspect, may be extradited because it carries a death penalty.
Speaking further, he said the 1st Respondent decided to sport this law and the rights of his client under the pretext of strengthening bilateral relations with the junta in Guinea.
Cllr. Cephus informed the court to take judicial notice of the fact that the Respondents have demonstrated once more that they do not regard the rights of the applicant as anything as evidenced by their absence from today’s proceedings.
He said what the Respondents have exhibited on May 18 by staying away from the court’s proceedings is exactly what they can do in the respective jurisdictions where they have taken comfort in violating the rights of their own citizens even in their own courts.
He said both the Republic of Liberia and the junta in Guinea have decided to stay away from today’s hearing of the case because there was a pending application for writ of habeas corpus, and for fear of being asked to produce the living body of Ibrahim Chairiff, they chose to ignore the notice of assignment.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Cephus, told the Court to affirm and confirm applicant’s application, order his immediate and unconditional release wherever he is held; and adjudge the Respondents liable to applicant in the tone of US$25m and US10m, including a strings of other financial awards as well as the US$177,800 that was stolen from the applicant by security forces of the Republic of Liberia.
In Court Via Zoom
Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus and Justice Kabineh M. Ja’neh at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice (ECCJ) in Abuja, Nigeria, arguing by zoom the case: Ibrahim Chairiff v. Republic or Liberia and Republic of Guinea.
The applicant’s petition is based on human rights violation, extra-judicial action, and forced disappearance from jail while in the custody of the Liberian government.
The legal team has the qualification, experience, and competence in a matter of such nature because Cllr. Cephus served as SOLICITOR GENERAL & CHEIF PROSECUTOR of the Republic of Liberia, while Cllr. Ja’neh served as former Minister of Justice and Attorney General and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
The two seasoned and experienced criminal lawyers are now working together on a number of human rights issues both in Liberia and the ECOWAS sub-region. Strangely, both the Republic of Liberia and the Republic of Guinea, the Respondents in the case, stayed away from the proceedings for no justification, and for this reason the Court ordered the matter to be proceeded with.
After successfully laying out the egregious abuse of the rights by the Respondents and their alleged flagrant disregard for applicant’s right to life, liberty and justice as demonstrably shown by their unexcused absence Cllr. Cephus, prayed the Court to grant applicant’s application and award application and amount of US$25m. Thereafter, the court reserved ruling pending notice of assignment.