SAMAY, BONG COUNTY – The Associate Director of the War Crimes Division at the Office for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Courts for Liberia (OWECC-L), Mr. Parker S. Barcolleh, on September 20, 2025, engaged with citizens of Samay, District #2, Bong County, rallying their support for the execution of OWECC-L’s mandate.
Samay is one of the towns severely affected by the Liberian Civil Crisis, having experienced the massacre of over thirty-five individuals on October 27, 1994.
During the outreach engagement in Samay over the weekend, Mr. Barcolleh called for collective efforts from citizens in the processes leading to the establishment of the Courts. “Citizens of Samay, who are victims and survivors of the October 27, 1994 massacre, are an integral part of the Courts’ establishment,” Barcolleh emphasized.
He noted that it is based on the accounts of civil war victims that OWECC-L will institute indictments against individuals responsible for war and economic crimes. “We will not simply wake up and order arrests. Your testimonies are essential. I can assure you that if we establish this Court, what happened in Samay in 1994 will not happen again,” he added.
Mr. Barcolleh further affirmed the Office’s commitment to ensuring the Courts’ establishment becomes a reality in line with Executive Order #148, which calls for the creation of a War and Economic Crimes Court and a Special Anti-Corruption Court.
Also addressing the gathering, OWECC-L Executive Director Dr. Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu highlighted that the Courts’ establishment is a Liberian-driven process, fully funded by the government of Liberia. “I want to inform you today that the establishment of these Courts is led by Liberians to ensure that those who committed atrocities during the war are held accountable,” Dr. Cllr. Barbu stated. He further urged citizens to engage their lawmakers to support the legislation of resolutions that will facilitate the formal establishment of the Courts.
