To provide long-overdue justice to those who suffered grave injustices during the two civil wars that raged in Liberia, President Joseph Boakai has signed an executive order to establish a war crimes court. Boakai granted his final approval and congratulated the lawmakers for their effort in the legislation.

Many atrocities, such as rape, massacres, and the use of child soldiers, occurred during the wars that lasted from 1989 to 2003. A special court was eventually ordered to be established to try those who were deemed to be at fault by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

President Boakai proposed a resolution to create a special court, which was later backed by Liberia’s lower house and senate.

“The conviction that brings us here today is that, for peace and harmony to have a chance to prevail, justice and healing must perfect the groundwork,” Boakai said in a special address.

Activists and civil society organizations that have demanded greater justice for crimes committed during the conflicts that claimed the lives of almost 250,000 people have praised the initiative.

With support from global organizations like the UN, the court would function in Liberia under international norms once it was operational. Economic offences will also be handled by it.

Meanwhile, some in Liberia are against its development, arguing that it could weaken the amnesty law that was already in place and cause old grievances to resurface. This helped put a stop to the violence.

Nigeria’s presidency on Thursday reiterated that the current administration’s economic reforms of the past one year “saved the life of the nation”.

Since his swearing-in on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu has driven major economic policies like the removal of subsidies on petrol and the floating of the currency (Naira), leading to an unprecedented rise in the cost of living but Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the policies as necessary given the poor state of Nigeria when he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

“His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, chose the option that will save the life of the nation instead of one that will merely prolong its imminent and predicted economic death,” said Shettima when he appeared as the guest speaker at the Second Chronicle Roundtable in Abuja.

He argued that the President had selected the most difficult but certain route to recovery when it came to the foreign exchange market intervention and the petrol subsidy programme and stressed that the Tinubu administration does not hold the former government accountable for its choices.

Shettima referred to the debt-service-to-revenue ratio in Nigeria as “an economic death sentence,” noting that it had increased to 111.18 percent prior to Tinubu taking office.

He however urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the administration, telling them that Tinubu is navigating the country through storms and economic upheaval that he has faced since taking office.

“Soon, Nigeria’s economy will experience significant growth once we’ve overcome these sacrifices. Positive changes will soon be evident across all economic indicators – inflation, per capita income, GDP numbers, poverty reduction, food security, and all aspects close to the hearts of our people,” the VP predicted.

“We understood why our predecessor decided to remove the subsidy. We do not resort to blaming the previous administration.

“Leadership is about courage, leadership is about continuity, leadership is about taking far-reaching decisions. Before we took charge, the biggest issue was the fuel subsidy removal. We had to get rid of the subsidy or the subsidy would have destroyed the Nigerian nation, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but necessary.

“The government is a continuum. Whoever succeeded the previous government could either steer the ship through the storm as President Tinubu is doing or let the country implode,” he stated firmly.