Overview

• On August 7, thousands of protesters marched in Monrovia under the “Say No to Drugs” banner, submitting a detailed petition calling for a national emergency declaration, stiffer penalties and the seizure and auction of traffickers’ assets
• President Boakai’s Anti-Drug Action Plan, unveiled August 6, mandates performance reviews for LDEA commanders, fast-tracks drug prosecutions, enforces mandatory sentencing and expands rehabilitation and reintegration services
• The government has prioritized reallocating resources to strengthen border and port surveillance with scanners and canine units while directing the courts to expedite drug cases
• The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency backed the protest by deploying personnel—including over 40 women officers from its Women’s Association—to manage logistics, crowd control and public safety
• Political parties and civil society groups, led by ALCOP, continue to press for an official emergency declaration, a special anti-drug court and a national fund financed by traffickers’ asset auctions