MONROVIA – Liberia’s main opposition party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), has used the country’s 179th Independence Day commemoration to issue one of its strongest political critiques of the Unity Party-led government, warning that Liberia’s democracy is facing an unprecedented threat while demanding independent investigations into alleged international drug cartel activities and the leadership of the nation’s security institutions.
In a lengthy Independence Day statement released Sunday, July 26, 2026, CDC National Chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo argued that Liberia’s anniversary should be observed with “sober reflection” rather than celebration, claiming the country is experiencing democratic backsliding, weakening state institutions, and growing insecurity.
The statement comes amid heightened political tensions following weeks of public debate over alleged international drug trafficking networks, controversy surrounding a viral video purportedly linked to an international cartel, and renewed scrutiny of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
The CDC accused the Boakai administration of allowing democratic institutions to deteriorate, alleging an increasing concentration of political power, the weakening of judicial independence, selective application of the rule of law, and what it described as growing intolerance toward dissenting voices.
“The possibility of Liberia drifting toward a de facto one-party state must concern every citizen, regardless of political affiliation,” the opposition party declared.
According to the CDC, democracy cannot survive where opposition voices are suppressed, constitutional safeguards are weakened, or citizens fear retaliation for criticizing government actions.
The party stressed that Liberia belongs to all its citizens and warned that no administration or political party has the constitutional authority to monopolize state power or undermine democratic freedoms.
Beyond its criticism of governance, the CDC devoted significant attention to what it described as an emerging national security crisis involving alleged international narcotics trafficking.
The opposition called for an urgent, transparent, independent, and internationally supported investigation into reports suggesting that international drug cartels may have established operational networks within Liberia.
Particularly, the CDC demanded a comprehensive investigation into a widely circulated video allegedly featuring individuals claiming affiliation with an international drug cartel who issued threats involving Liberia.
According to the party, authorities must establish the video’s origin, authenticity, purpose, and the identities of those responsible while ensuring the findings are made public.
The statement also raises fresh questions about recent developments within Liberia’s security sector.
The CDC called for an official explanation regarding reports that Johnny Bollar Dean and several former senior police officers, who were previously dismissed during former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration over alleged misconduct, were reinstated under the leadership of Liberia National Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman.
The opposition said public reports indicating that five of eight dismissed senior officers had returned to active service require transparency and accountability from the government.
The party further questioned reports suggesting that the Liberia National Police has assumed operational control over the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to the CDC, if such an arrangement exists outside the legal framework establishing the LDEA’s independence, it could raise serious constitutional, institutional, and national security concerns requiring immediate investigation.
The statement insists that all allegations involving drug trafficking, institutional misconduct, or abuse of public office must be investigated “without fear, favor, political interference, or protection for powerful individuals.”
The CDC argued that Liberia must never become a safe haven, transit route, or operational base for international drug trafficking organizations.
The opposition also appealed directly to Liberia’s international development partners, including governments and institutions that have invested in the country’s post war recovery, to remain actively engaged in protecting democratic governance.
The CDC warned that silence from the international community in the face of alleged democratic decline, institutional abuse, or credible criminal allegations could unintentionally embolden those responsible.
The party urged international partners to continue supporting efforts aimed at strengthening the rule of law, promoting accountability, combating corruption, protecting human rights, and confronting organized transnational crime.
Throughout the statement, the CDC framed Liberia’s Independence Day as an opportunity for national reflection rather than celebration, arguing that independence should be measured by citizens’ ability to exercise their freedoms without intimidation and by government’s accountability to the people.
The party concluded by calling on Liberians to unite in defending democracy, resisting corruption, confronting drug trafficking, and safeguarding constitutional governance.
While the statement contains serious allegations and concerns, many of the claims, including assertions regarding democratic erosion, alleged operational control of the LDEA by the LNP, the reported reinstatement of dismissed police officers, and alleged international drug cartel activities, remain political assertions by the opposition and have not been independently verified. The Boakai administration and relevant security institutions have previously rejected allegations of complicity in narcotics trafficking and have maintained that ongoing investigations are being conducted in accordance with the law.
