Massive Failure: Liberian Government Badly Exposed by 2024 State Department Report
- Michael T
- Aug 15, 2025
- 3 min read
Monrovia, Liberia – Liberia stands accused of failing its people—again. The latest U.S. State Department report paints a devastating picture of credible evidence that arbitrary killings, torture, and degrading treatment are rampant. Police and security officials, meant to protect the nation, are repeatedly cited for violence and unchecked brutality. Prisons overflow with men and women living in squalor, and arbitrary arrests remain a terrifying reality.state+2
Women, in particular, face chilling dangers. Domestic and sexual violence are widespread, while the government’s promises ring hollow. Corrupt officials line their pockets. Investigations—when they even happen—are slow and often go nowhere. Accountability is a myth.
The report details explicit cases, including the high-profile killing of 17-year-old Amos Dolo by a police officer in Paynesville in July 2024. Eyewitnesses allege Dolo was unarmed. While the officer was quickly detained, this has done little to convince civil society that accountability will be enforced. Within police ranks, abuses persist with a sense of impunity. The report chronicles multiple similar incidents—some unreported by national media—underscoring how trust between the public and law enforcement has broken down.
The unresolved disappearance of Ibrahim Kalil Cherif, last seen entering Monrovia Central Prison, exemplifies a broader pattern of enforced disappearances. Cherif’s case, which has been at the center of public controversy and advocacy, depicts the issues the report identifies: prolonged and arbitrary detention, and high-profile disappearances in official custody.
Human rights NGOs document that pretrial detentions frequently stretch into months or years; legal processes are either slow or subverted by bribery and intimidation. Monrovia Central Prison, described by the report as “overcrowded and squalid,” continues to hold people whose names never reach a judge’s desk.state+1
Rape—especially sexual violence against minors—remains one of Liberia’s most critical crises. In one emblematic case from June 2024, a 12-year-old girl in Lofa County was raped by a local official; after initial questioning, the perpetrator faced no formal charge. The U.S. State Department report singles out government inaction, noting that survivors rarely receive psychological support or see justice served.
The continued use of trial by ordeal—where suspects are subjected to severe physical pain as “evidence” of guilt—receives particular attention. Reports from Grand Gedeh and Bong Counties in early 2024 cite at least four ritual killings in which police either failed to investigate or inadequately recorded evidence.
The ongoing practices of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child witchcraft accusations result in permanent trauma for hundreds of girls. National NGOs report that only token legislative efforts have been made to curb these abuses.
Resource-rich regions such as Nimba, Cape Mount, and Sinoe saw mass protests by communities demanding a share of mining and logging revenues. The government’s security forces, on three documented occasions, used live ammunition to disperse crowds, leaving at least five civilians wounded in January and March 2024 alone. Promised parliamentary committee reviews yielded no indictments or compensation for the victims.
Corruption remains the constant backdrop. The state’s failure to discipline police accused of brutality, the slow pace of cases implicating high-level officials, and the siphoning of public health budgets all point to a state losing its grip on the mechanisms of accountability. Even high-profile investigations—such as inquiries into embezzlement at the Ministry of Health—have fizzled out without public explanation, fueling popular anger and cynicism.state+2
As Liberia moves forward, the nation stands accused—not only by international partners but by its own population. Despite an official narrative of reform, the record tells a different story: persistent brutality, unchecked power, and widespread impunity. The 2024 human rights report is a charge sheet—a clear indictment of a government and justice system in deep denial.
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