MONROVIA – In a press statement issued on June 13, 2024, in Monrovia, the Coalition for Democratic Change – Council of Patriots (CDC-COP) called on the United States of America and its international partners to impose immediate political and economic sanctions on the Boakai-Koung administration. The CDC-COP cited rampant police brutality, open bribery, widespread corruption, human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, lawlessness, and the use of Liberia as an illicit drug transit point across Africa as grounds for the sanctions.
The CDC-COP alleged that since January 22, 2024, President Boakai, alongside his associates, has appointed individuals with criminal backgrounds, including ex-combatants, to public offices. They claim that the national police force has been reduced to a partisan institution, resulting in incidents such as the Kinjor Massacre, where three protesters were killed. The administration reportedly attempted to compensate the victims’ families with US$15,000.
The statement highlighted numerous mysterious deaths, including the gruesome murder of an Armed Forces of Liberia sergeant, who was shot six times in the head. The CDC-COP accused the administration of daily bribery involving cabinet ministers, unauthorized loans taken by officials, and rampant corruption across all government branches.
The CDC-COP further alleged that Liberia’s borders are being used for illicit drug distribution across the subregion. They claimed the First Family is running a drug syndicate that uses diplomatic immunity to traffic illegal substances. President Boakai’s elder son, Joseph Boakai Jr., is accused of being a key figure in the drug transportation network. An ongoing investigation by the National Security Agency (NSA) suggests that the appointed Presidential Envoy on Investment, Mr. Mohammed Malahdo Bah, imported over US$15.4 million worth of drugs, evading capture through his connections.
The administration is also alleged to be weakening the judiciary by reducing its budget to render it ineffective. The CDC-COP claims that the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) is compromised, with officials working for drug cartels and recruiting ex-rebels to perpetrate violence against citizens.
The CDC-COP urged the United States and its partners to impose sanctions to protect Liberia from further decline and potential collapse. They stressed the urgency of these actions to safeguard human rights, restore law and order, and prevent the country from becoming a central hub for drug trafficking, which could also affect Europe and the Americas.
In their statement, the CDC-COP emphasized, “Sanction the Boakai-Koung Administration before it’s too late. The drugs coming into Liberia can also be transferred to Europe and the Americas. Help save Liberia and the rest of the world.”
