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Liberian Government and Guinean Junta Escape from ECOWAS Court!

  • Writer: Michael T
    Michael T
  • Jun 26
  • 3 min read
L-R, President Boakai of Liberia & Junta Leader Mamadee Domouya of Guinea
L-R, President Boakai of Liberia & Junta Leader Mamadee Domouya of Guinea

At the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, in a ruling expected today in the case of Ibrahim Chairiff v. Republic of Liberia and Guinea, both the Government of Liberia and the Guinean junta ran away from the proceedings, unable to defend themselves.


Ibrahim Khalil Cherif, a dual national with ties to both Liberia and Guinea, became the center of a major regional scandal after his arrest by Liberian security forces in late 2024. Accused of plotting to destabilize the Guinean military junta—allegedly recruiting mercenaries for exiled former President Alpha Condé to orchestrate a counter-coup against Colonel Mamady Doumbouya—Cherif’s case quickly spiraled into a textbook example of gross human rights violations and state-sponsored lawlessness.


Liberian authorities flagrantly violated legal procedures and fundamental rights from the outset. Security forces raided Cherif’s property without a warrant, seizing vehicles and money—a move condemned by his legal team and ignored by authorities, even after court orders demanded the return of his property[1]. More egregiously, in the early hours of November 3, 2024, Liberian security personnel, led by the Inspector General of Police, forcibly removed Cherif from Monrovia Central Prison without court authorization and delivered him to Guinean military authorities[2][1][3]. This act constituted a forced disappearance and illegal extradition, bypassing all judicial safeguards and raising immediate alarm among human rights advocates.


Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Criminal Court “A” issued a 72-hour ultimatum, demanding that the government produce Cherif alive. [4][2][5] The Executive failed to comply, and Cherif’s whereabouts remained unknown, fueling suspicions of extrajudicial action and possible murder. The court subsequently fined senior Justice Ministry officials for defying multiple court orders, holding them in contempt and threatening jail time for their blatant disregard for judicial authority[6][7]. Defense lawyers, including Cllr. Kabineh M. Ja’neh and Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus accused the government of “kidnapping” and called for severe penalties against those responsible[2].


In response to these gross violations, Cherif’s lawyers brought the case before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, arguing that both governments were complicit in his disappearance and that his life was in imminent danger[8]. When the case was called—first on May 16, 2025, and again today, June 26, 2025—both the Liberian government and the Guinean junta were conspicuously absent, despite being properly notified and served by the court[8]. Their failure to appear is widely interpreted as a deliberate attempt to evade accountability and judicial scrutiny, and as a tacit admission of guilt.


“Strangely, the Government of the Republic of Liberia and the military Junta in Guinea serving as the 1st and 2nd Respondents, were conspicuously absent… 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.”[8]


Cherif’s legal team has called for the court to order his immediate and unconditional release(if he is still alive), hold both governments liable for substantial damages, and compel restitution for the property and funds seized by Liberian security forces[8].


The repeated evasion of the ECOWAS Court by both Liberia and Guinea, coupled with the brazen disregard for court orders and the rule of law, proves a pattern of no regard for the rule of Law by the two regimes. The forced disappearance and suspected murder of Ibrahim Khalil Cherif stand as an indictment of both regimes and a rallying cry for international intervention and accountability.



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Additional Sources


[2] Liberia On Chalk Line With Guinea Over Alleged Mercenary Plot https://allafrica.com/stories/202411180115.html

[5] Liberia: 72-Hour Ultimatum to Surrender 'Guinean Coup Plotter' https://allafrica.com/stories/202411130043.html

[7] Liberia: Court Fines Government Lawyers $1,500 for Disobeying Order in Cherif Case - FrontPageAfrica https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-court-fines-government-lawyers-1500-for-disobeying-order-in-cherif-case/

[10] Guinean 'Mercenary' Released - The News Newspaper Liberia https://thenewsnewspaperonline.com/guinean-mercenary-released/

[11] 'Govt Never Consulted Guinean Company in Release of Hijacked ... https://allafrica.com/stories/202007100625.html

[13] [PDF] Human Rights Violations in Palestine and Gaza Genocide Report https://www.tihek.gov.tr/public/editor/uploads/5NDPLgEB.pdf

[14] No Justice in Bahrain: Unfair Trials in Military and Civilian Courts https://www.hrw.org/report/2012/02/28/no-justice-bahrain/unfair-trials-military-and-civilian-

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