MONROVIA, Wednesday, November 4, 2026 — Women’s groups and civil-society organizations have scheduled a three-day fast and prayer at the Fish Market and Women Prayer Grounds in Monrovia from November 4 to 6, urging the National Legislature to pass the proposed laws for a War and Economic Crimes Court and a National Anti-Corruption Court.
Three days of prayer and civic advocacy
FrontPage Africa reported on November 4, citing an organizing concept note dated October 26, that the programme will run under the theme “United in Prayer for Peace, Unity, Healing, and Transformation of Liberia through the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court and the Anti-Corruption Court of Liberia.”
The report says a 21-member organizing committee includes the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia (OWECC-L), the Liberia Women Mass Action for Peace, the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET), the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), Liberia Muslim Women for Peace and religious and civil-society organizations.
According to the report, the programme is expected to include fasting, prayer sessions, praise and worship, and spiritual reflections. Organizers say prayers will focus on victims, peace, transitional-justice actors, the President and the National Legislature. The stated objectives also include reconciliation through truth-telling, peaceful coexistence and stronger participation by women in peacebuilding.
Fish Market carries a history of women-led peace action
The choice of venue is symbolic. FrontPage Africa reports that the Fish Market was the site of daily sit-ins by the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace in 2003. The women, many dressed in white, used prayer and public protest to press for an end to Liberia’s civil war. The current gathering invokes that history while directing attention to accountability and the proposed justice institutions.
What is the legal status of the proposed courts?
The proposed courts are not yet legally established or operational. On May 20, 2026, the Executive Mansion announced that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai had transmitted two proposed bills to the Legislature: one to establish a War and Economic Crimes Court and another to establish a National Anti-Corruption Court. The Presidency said the bills were sent to legislative leaders for deliberation and enactment.
In a clarification published on October 29, OWECC-L said the harmonized bills before the House of Representatives and Senate had not been passed into law and were still under legislative review. The office also stressed that its own establishment and the appointment of an executive director are preparatory steps; they do not mean that the War and Economic Crimes Court has already been legally constituted or made operational.
That distinction matters. A prayer gathering or public commitment cannot create either court. Their establishment depends on the Legislature completing the law-making process, followed by the legal, administrative, judicial and financial arrangements required for the institutions to function independently.
What to watch next
The gathering is scheduled to conclude on Friday, November 6. The next measurable step is legislative action: whether lawmakers advance and pass the relevant bills, and whether the proposed institutions receive the resources and safeguards needed to carry out their mandates. HeartTalk Network will distinguish advocacy statements from formal decisions as the process develops.
Sources
- FrontPage Africa — “Liberian Women Begin Three-Day Fast and Prayer for War Crimes, Anti-Corruption Courts” (November 4, 2026)
- The Executive Mansion — “President Boakai Submits Landmark Justice and Anti-Corruption Bills to the Legislature” (May 20, 2026)
- OWECC-L — “OWECC-L Clarifies Reports Regarding the Existence and Operation of the War and Economic Crimes Court” (October 29, 2026)
HeartTalk Network — Speaking from the Heart.
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