Monrovia, Liberia — The Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia (OWECC-L) says it has strengthened international partnerships and expanded engagement with the Liberian diaspora following a ten-day study mission to Rwanda aimed at advancing Liberia’s transitional justice process.
By Patience M. Jones,[email protected]
The Executive Director of OWECC-L, Prof. Dr. Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu, returned to Liberia after leading a delegation to Rwanda, where they studied the country’s internationally recognized post-genocide justice and reconciliation model.
The mission focused on gaining practical lessons to support Liberia’s efforts to establish a credible War and Economic Crimes Court and strengthen accountability for crimes committed during the country’s civil conflicts.
During the visit, Dr. Barbu and his delegation met with senior government officials, judicial authorities, legal practitioners, transitional justice experts and members of the Liberian community living in Rwanda.
They also visited several institutions central to Rwanda’s justice system, including the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), the Kigali High Court, the High Court Chamber for International Crimes, the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD), the Office of the Chief Prosecutor for War Crimes Fugitives, the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the Rwanda Arbitration Centre, and the Nyamata Genocide Memorial.
According to OWECC-L, the engagements provided valuable insights into Rwanda’s approach to criminal accountability, victim participation, witness protection, memorialization, psychosocial support, legal education, institutional reform and the role of political commitment in rebuilding public trust after mass atrocities.
A key outcome of the mission was a commitment by Rwandan transitional justice institutions and experts to support Liberia through technical cooperation and knowledge sharing.
The partnerships are expected to assist Liberia in developing a victim-centered and internationally informed framework for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
Reflecting on the visit, Dr. Barbu described Rwanda’s experience as both educational and inspiring.
“Rwanda’s experience reminds us that justice is not simply about prosecuting crimes. It is about restoring dignity to victims, rebuilding institutions, strengthening public confidence in the rule of law and creating the conditions for lasting peace. Liberia’s path will be uniquely Liberian, but there are valuable lessons we can draw from countries that have successfully confronted difficult chapters in their history,” he said.
Beyond the Rwanda mission, OWECC-L also intensified its outreach to Liberians living abroad, emphasizing that transitional justice requires broad national participation, including from the diaspora.
On July 24, the Office’s Psychosocial Manager and Coordinator for Disability Affairs, Ambassador Maxson S. Kpakio, represented OWECC-L during Liberia’s Independence Day celebrations organized by the Union of Liberian Organizations in the United Kingdom (ULOUK) in Sheffield.
During the event, he delivered a presentation on Liberia’s transitional justice process and responded to questions from members of the Liberian community.
Two days later, Ambassador Kpakio addressed another gathering hosted by the Liberian Community Organization in London, where he updated participants on the progress toward establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court and encouraged continued diaspora support for justice, accountability and reconciliation.
OWECC-L also disclosed that discussions are underway with the leadership of the Liberian community in the Kingdom of the Netherlands regarding a similar engagement in the coming weeks.
Drawing from lessons learned in Rwanda, Dr. Barbu reaffirmed that Liberia’s transitional justice process must remain inclusive, transparent, victim-centered and firmly grounded in the country’s Constitution and democratic principles.
He said the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court represents a historic opportunity to address impunity, strengthen the rule of law, restore confidence in national institutions, honor victims, and help prevent future atrocities.
As part of the next phase of its work, OWECC-L will brief national stakeholders on the findings of the Rwanda mission while pursuing sustained technical cooperation with Rwandan institutions in areas including judicial capacity building, victim participation, witness protection, memorialization, psychosocial support, documentation and public education.
The Office also reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the Government of Liberia, the National Legislature, the Judiciary, civil society organizations, victims and survivors, traditional and religious leaders, development partners, women and youth organizations and Liberians in the diaspora to ensure broad national ownership of the transitional justice process.
Dr. Barbu expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Rwanda for their hospitality and willingness to share their experience, describing the study mission as an important milestone in Liberia’s journey toward justice and reconciliation.
According to OWECC-L, the partnerships established during the visit will help transform international experience into practical actions that strengthen Liberia’s transitional justice architecture while promoting accountability, national healing, reconciliation and lasting peace.
