Liberia: Senior Officials Must Face Drug Probe

What the report says

Liberian Senator Amara Konneh of Gbarpolu County is urging authorities to apply the anti-drug campaign evenly across the security sector, after recent cocaine seizures and disciplinary action against some personnel. In comments reported by The New Dawn and distributed by AllAfrica, he said the public could lose confidence if junior officers are punished while senior officials who supervised them are left untouched.

Konneh argued that suspending or removing officers without formal judicial proceedings does not amount to justice, and he warned against what he described as selective enforcement. He also said allegations tied to international narcotics trafficking should be handled as serious legal matters rather than only administrative ones. According to the report, he framed the issue as a test of whether Liberia’s anti-drug effort is a genuine national policy or merely a slogan.

The senator linked drug trafficking to wider security risks, saying it threatens young people, strengthens criminal networks and could destabilize the country. He also pointed to concerns along Liberia’s northern border with Guinea as a reason for treating the issue as a national security priority. Konneh said he backed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in the 2023 election partly because he expected stronger action against drugs and impunity, and he said Liberians are still waiting for results.