SWITZERLAND – Alieu Kosiah, former ULIMO commander, stood trial in Bellinzona, Switzerland, for four weeks in December 2020 and in February 2021 for the crimes he allegedly committed in Lofa County, Liberia, between 1993 and 1996. He is charged with 25 counts of war crimes, including murders, forced transports, looting, rape, and recruitment of a child soldier. The Swiss Federal Criminal Court announced today that the judgment will be rendered on June 18, 2021 at 1.30pm. Alieu Kosiah pleaded not guilty, and the Federal Prosecutor requested a 20 year prison sentence. Some of the plaintiffs in the Alieu Kosiah case chose to come twice from Liberia, first during Ebola and later during the COVID-19 pandemic, to share their testimony in Switzerland.

Speaking during the start of the Workshop, ILO Country Manager and Project Coordinator, Mr. Salif Massalay said that the workshop is focused on International Labour Standards (ILS) reporting. According to Mr. Massalay, there are three categories of ILO Conventions: a) the “Fundamental or Core ILO Conventions”, b) the “Governance or Priority Conventions”, and c) the “Technical Conventions”. Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Labour, Assistant Labour Minister for Regional Labour Affairs, Hon. Black ground to the workshop:Since a number of years, Liberia has not submitted any reports under ratified Conventions. In 2020, none of the reports requested under ratified Conventions (C29, C87, C98, C105, C111, C112, C113, C114 and C144) were received.

Ndablama, Grand Cape Mount County- Nearly Ten Thousand people in Grand Cape Mount County have been connected to Lonestar Cell MTN 4G Network for the first time. Through a partnership agreement between Lonestar Cell MTN and Bea Mountain, a 4G cell phone tower has been installed in Ndablama, Grand Cape Mount County. The agreement provides internet access to Bea Mountain’s new Ndablama Gold Mining site because there was limited internet access in the area. “We are excited,” said Rahul De, Lonestar Cell MTN Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Lonestar Cell MTN gives one percent of its profit back to Liberians through its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

Against this backdrop, Rep. Kolubah has written the Plenary, the highest decision making body of the House of Representatives to reintroduce two instruments that have overstayed in committee rooms. Ironically, since his ascendancy as President of Liberia, Weah has not taken any action to ensure justice for past war crimes. The Speaker, who was once an ardent supporter of a war crimes court, has been blamed by many war crimes court supporters for using his power to block every effort to initiate the establishment of the court. Rep. Kolubah Joins Blayhi in Call for CourtUnlike key players of the war including Senator Prince Johnson and Rep. George Bolley who continue to openly denounce the call for a war crimes court, Rep. Kolubah, who also participated in the war has been a staunch advocate of the court. But unlike Evangelist Blayhi, Rep. Kolubah was not indicted by the TRC.

MONROVIA – Mr. Alexander Cummings, the political leader of the Alternative National Congress has called on the George Weah-led government to begin early preparation for the conduct of the 2023 general and presidential elections. This, according to Mr. Cummings, is to avert the postponement of elections due to lack of funding for the National Elections Commission (NEC). For our country, holding free, fair and credible elections, on time, is amongst the best ways to continue to keep our peace, and remain democratic,” stated Mr. Cummings in a recent Op-Ed. He added, “No responsible government needs to be reminded about its duty, especially to provide money to the election commission. In 2023, let us all show that we mean this by actually doing it,” Cummings stated in his Op-Ed.

Monrovia – Monsterrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon Monday angrily responded to Senator Prince Johnson’s outburst, saying the Nimba County senator is not as fearful as he was during the civil country’s fourteen-year civil war. He’s not Prince Johnson that we knew during 1990.”He added: “Who is Sen. Prince Johnson to be panicking when someone speaks about the establishment of a war and economic crimes court? Dillon and Johnson last week plunged into heated argument over the establishment of a war and economic crimes court, disrupting the day’s session. “Senator Johnson said: “People say I am a mass murderer; I am not perfect but I didn’t kill Tecumseh Roberts.

The conference is part of TVA’s vision to increasing tech literacy and skills building among young people in Africa. Minnesota- Tech Village Africa (TVA), a startup company initiated by African diaspora tech professionals is expanding its annual TVACON conference to more cities in Africa this year. The conference is part of TVA’s vision of increasing tech literacy and skills building among young people in Africa. Accordingly, this year they intend to extend it to a wider audience by adding Sierra Leone to the list. Admission ticket for the conference for the Liberia sessions is $20 USD and for the Sierra Leone session is $10 USD.

Last Thursday, Senator Prince Y. Johnson picked bone with her while raging at her fellow partisan, Darius Dillon whom he accused of provoking him with the establishment of war crimes court. MONROVIA – Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has branded claims linking her to the civil war as lies and scare tactics intended to stop her from speaking for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia. While venting at Dillon, Senator Johnson was heard accusing Senator Karngar-Lawrence of being in a relationship with Chief Cyril Allen, one of former President Taylor’s henchman. The book narrates that Senator Johnson’s principal deputy in the INPFL, Samuel Varney, carried out the execution of Tecumseh. “Senator Johnson said: “People say I am a mass murderer; I am not perfect but I didn’t kill Tecumseh Roberts.

The issue of having an Islamic holiday in Liberia has been on the lips of many Muslims in the country. But speaking at the opening of the Ali Sylla Intellectual Forum in Peace Island, Jacob Town over the weekend, the Special Aide to President Weah called on Muslims in the country to appreciate the President for what he termed as a “giant step” taking toward the creation of a Muslim’s Holiday. “As a President, who got control over the Executive Branch of government and said on the day of Ramadan no Muslims should come to work. For now, the president has taken the first giant step and that giant step we as Muslims must appreciate it. The government is struggling when it comes to employment, that problem is not coming from the Weah regime it started a long time.

The United States of America — The Unity Party-USA & Canada has ended its National Convention by the elections of officials to fill vacant positions alongside the adoption of its draft constitution modeled after that of the mother party. In his message delivered via zoom technology opening the convention, Unity Party Standard Bearer His Excellency Amb. Joseph Nyuma Boakai expressed his appreciation and support for the diaspora members of the Unity Party. The UP Standard Bearer reminded partisans of the challenges facing Liberia and reiterated the need for unity amongst partisans in the march towards national development. They then encouraged those elected to work within the interest of the party and with Liberia as the center of the Unity Party’s blueprint.

Monrovia – Prince Kaydee, commonly known as Sarpo Giant, has been crowned weight champion of Montserrado County. Ali proved to be very strong in two of the three categories: squat and Deadlift defeating Sarpo giant but could not beat him in the bench press. Middleweights Category WinnersIn the middleweight Terry Harris secured first place after a point of 1290 pounds in both bench press, squat and Deadlift and. Giant Kingston Saah came second to Terry with 1090 pounds in both bench press, squat and Deadlift from Carey gym in Logan town. Speaking to the media after the competition, Sarpo giant said his title is dedicated to the people of Sinoe and promised to continuously make them proud.

“Usually wars or crises provide a new germination, if you will, like a forest that burns down and where new vegetation sprouts,” notes Liberian poet, Cherbo Geeplay. As well as established Liberian writers known to the international reading public such as Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, Wayetu Moore and Vamba Sherif, one finds poet Cherbo Geeplay. has been a cause of concern in places like Liberia, where no efforts have been made to develop nor teach African languages”. You can only draw inspiration from Liberian culture. It is this same kind of thinking displayed by emerging writers including Geeplay: that literature and scholarship can inspire new heights.

MONROVIA – The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) on Monday, May 17, 2021 quarantined a consignment of expired assorted chemical at RM Group on GSA Road in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. RM Group is a detergent company. The expired chemicals were quarantined by technicians of the EPA backed by officers of the Liberia National Police assigned at Zone 5 Police station amidst public health threats. In an attempt to conceal the assorted expired chemicals, RM Group denied technicians access to its premises, according to a release from EPA. Meanwhile, EPA has shutdown RM Group and cited its management to a meeting on Thursday, 20 May 2021.

Liberia: Senator Prince Johnson, A Man of Many Atrocities, Walking Free, Blocking Establishment of War Crimes Court, While Taylor and Others Serve Terms in Foreign LandsMonrovia – More than a decade after Liberia’s brutal civil war, questions continue to troll Prince Y. Johnson. In spite of all his links to some of the most brutal killings of the civil war, Mr. Johnson remains adamant and defiant. “If you want bring war crimes court, bring your damn war crimes court. They always think war crimes court is about Prince Johnson. In the text, according to him Koijee, threatened to support a war crimes court if he attempted to swap support from the CDC to the opposition.

As the debacle lingers between the US and Russia, security authorities in Liberia are mum over the implications of the Yaroshenko case. The Yaroshenko case was a major debacle between Russia and the United States. In fact, the Russians accused the US of kidnapping Yaroshenko in violation of international law and then deporting him illegally to the United States. Crowley said the pilot had been detained in Liberia, expelled, and handed over to U.S. authorities. As the debacle lingers between the US and Russia, security authorities in Liberia are mum over the implications of the Yaroshenko case.