No More Donor Funding for War Crimes Court: Outgoing US Ambassador Torner Reveals

Michael T
Jul 11
3 min read

L-R, Outgoing US Ambassador Torner, Late Senator and Former Warlord Prince Y. Johnson, and President Joseph Boakai

Monrovia, Liberia – The United States has made it clear there are no plans to provide funding for the establishment of Liberia’s War Crimes Court (WCC) in the foreseeable future, according to the US ambassador. At present, the US can only offer technical assistance, while the United Nations also lacks any available donor funds for the court’s creation, the Ambassador stressed1 2. Notably, following the death of Senator Prince Johnson—a central figure linked to the civil war—momentum and interest in establishing the court appear to have sharply declined, even though several other key actors remain alive3 4 5.

The ambassador argued that the War Crimes Court is fundamentally a “Liberian thing.” He urged the government and people of Liberia to devise their ways to move the process forward, stating, “We can provide technical assistance, but the funding is not there anymore.” The US has already brought in groups from Rwanda, Gambia, and the former Yugoslavia to share their experiences, but financial support is off the table1 2.

While the US remains open to providing technical expertise—such as facilitating visits and knowledge-sharing from countries with experience in post-conflict justice—the ambassador was unequivocal: “There is no money for the court. The US can only provide technical assistance.” This leaves Liberia with the challenge of finding its resources or new partners if the court is to become a reality1 2.

The ambassador also touched on the need for national reconciliation, suggesting that Liberia should “reconcile, forget, and move on,” and commended President Boakai for his efforts in this direction. However, this raises critical questions: Has there been genuine outreach to all warlords and major victims? Has there been any real national conversation, or is the process being rushed because of the recent death of Prince Johnson, a major political actor and former warlord3 4 5?

It appears Prince Johnson’s death has closed the chapter of the establishment of the Court. Since his passing, neither the government nor international advocates who initially pushed the court are interested in the conversation anymore. Alan White, Congressman Chris Smith, Hassan Bility, Jerome Verdier, et al. have slowed down the conversation.

The Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court was established by Executive Order 131 on May 2, 2024, and is currently headed by Jallah Barbu6 1 2 7. But all recent investigations have proven there has been no support from the government of Liberia or the United States government 189. This stands in contrast to assurances from both Former US Ambassador Michael Maccarty and Beth Van Schaack, US Ambassador-at-Large on Criminal Justice, two years ago that the US was ready to support the court.

Despite the creation of the Office and the appointment of Dr. Jallah Barbu, the lack of funding and political will has left the process stalled. Staff have reportedly gone months without pay, and the Office continues to struggle to meet its basic obligations, including rent and operational costs1 8 9. Liberia risks missing a rare opportunity to secure justice and end decades of impunity9 4 12.