Liberia passes a law setting up a long-awaited war crimes court

By MARK M. MENGONFIA and JESSICA DONATI
Associated Press

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Liberian President Joseph Boakai has signed an executive order to create a long-awaited war crimes court to deliver justice to the victims of Liberia’s two civil wars. The conflicts were characterized by the widespread and systematic use of mass killings, torture and sexual violence. The back-to-back civil wars killed an estimated 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003. Victims and activists for justice have been calling for a court to try those accused of war crimes for decades. A post-war truth and reconciliation commission in 2009 identified a list of people to be prosecuted for war crimes. But since then no one has been tried in Liberia. Boakai signed the executive order on Thursday.