Monrovia, Liberia – Human rights activist Adama Kiatamba Dempster has challenged Liberia’s government to take its ongoing war against drug trafficking to the highest levels of alleged criminal networks, warning that the country’s unprecedented narcotics seizures will mean little if authorities fail to identify and prosecute the financiers, facilitators and alleged protectors behind the trade.
Dempster, National Secretary General of the Civil Society Human Rights Advocacy Platform of Liberia, issued the challenge on Monday, August 24, 2026, as Liberia’s major drug investigation continues to generate intense public and political debate.
In a strongly worded statement, Dempster called for tougher measures and impartial investigations, insisting that no individual or group should be considered beyond the reach of the law.
He said the government must demonstrate “unwavering political will” if it intends to dismantle drug networks that have allegedly operated in Liberia for years.
According to Dempster, the government’s response must not stop at seizing narcotics or arresting suspected couriers and dealers.
The investigation, he argued, must follow the money and expose the structures that finance, facilitate and allegedly protect large-scale drug trafficking.
His intervention comes against the backdrop of Liberia’s biggest recent narcotics controversy.
Authorities have seized thousands of kilograms of suspected cocaine in separate operations, including a massive seizure in Duazon, Margibi County, and an earlier interception at Roberts International Airport.
The combined seizures were valued by authorities at hundreds of millions of dollars and triggered a far-reaching investigation into an alleged transnational trafficking network.
The case has subsequently entered politically sensitive territory.
Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor was stopped at Roberts International Airport, declared a person of interest and later charged in connection with the investigation. Her political camp has rejected the allegations and criticized the government’s handling of the case.
The controversy has fueled a broader national debate over whether Liberia’s justice and security institutions can pursue politically connected suspects without fear or favor.
Dempster’s statement does not endorse any particular suspect or political position.
Instead, he is demanding that the government establish a standard of impartiality that applies equally to everyone.
He called on authorities to investigate allegations wherever the evidence leads and to ensure that political status, wealth, institutional influence or personal relationships do not determine who is investigated or protected.
“We want tougher measures and impartial investigations,” Dempster said.
The human rights activist said the country needs a comprehensive strategy to confront drug trafficking because the problem cannot be solved through law enforcement alone.
He called for a multidimensional approach combining security, economic, social, political, health, legal and preventive measures.
Dempster also urged the government to strengthen intelligence gathering and expand cooperation with regional and international partners.
He argued that the sophisticated nature of international drug trafficking requires authorities to identify not only those physically transporting narcotics but also the financial transactions, logistical arrangements and networks that enable shipments to reach Liberia.
The CSO Platform’s position also places significant emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation.
Dempster said Liberia’s anti-drug strategy must protect young people and communities from the consequences of drug abuse while creating pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration.
He warned that an effective national response must be firm without sacrificing the rights and dignity of citizens.
“This fight must be waged with determination, but also with respect for the rights and dignity of every Liberian citizen especially the youth and those living within the country,” the CSO Platform said.
The activist acknowledged the government’s National Anti-Drug Action Plan covering 2025–2030, describing the initiative as a positive step.
But he cautioned that a policy document alone would not dismantle established trafficking networks.
Its success, he said, will depend on sustained enforcement, rehabilitation, intelligence gathering and regional and international cooperation.
Dempster also demanded transparency and accountability throughout the process.
He said the government must provide credible information about the progress of the investigation while respecting due process and avoiding premature conclusions about individuals who have not been convicted.
His position comes as public attention remains focused on the politically charged dimensions of the drug investigation.
The case has tested Liberia’s ability to separate law enforcement from political rivalry at a time when tensions surrounding the investigation remain high.
Dempster’s call is therefore centered on institutional credibility.
He wants investigators to follow evidence rather than political loyalties and wants prosecutors and courts to determine responsibility through established legal procedures.
He also urged the government to ensure that the anti-drug campaign does not become selective.
According to the CSO Platform, justice must reach every level of society, including individuals in powerful positions.
Dempster said the government’s credibility will ultimately be judged by whether it is prepared to investigate people regardless of their political connections or social standing.
He further argued that the fight against drugs must address the conditions that allow trafficking and drug abuse to flourish.
Economic hardship, limited opportunities for young people, weak prevention systems and inadequate rehabilitation services, he suggested, must be addressed alongside stronger security and law-enforcement operations.
He called for a national approach capable of combining enforcement with prevention, treatment and community protection.
The CSO Platform also emphasized the importance of regional and international cooperation, recognizing that drug trafficking networks often operate across borders and cannot be effectively dismantled through isolated national efforts.
Dempster said Liberia must therefore strengthen intelligence-sharing and cooperation with neighboring countries and international partners.
At the same time, he cautioned against allowing the urgency of the drug crisis to undermine fundamental rights.
He called for investigations that are transparent, accountable and inclusive, saying the campaign should strengthen communities rather than create new divisions or injustices.
The activist’s intervention comes at a moment when the government faces two simultaneous demands: to demonstrate that Liberia can confront large-scale narcotics trafficking decisively and to prove that the investigation is being conducted fairly.
Dempster said those objectives are not contradictory.
A strong anti-drug campaign, he argued, can and must operate within the rule of law.
As Liberia continues to investigate the network behind the massive cocaine seizures, the CSO Platform is calling for a campaign measured not only by arrests and seizures but by whether authorities ultimately dismantle the financial and organizational structures sustaining the trade.
For Dempster, the central test is whether Liberia can demonstrate that no one is above the law.
He urged the government to act boldly, remain impartial and ensure that the fight against narcotics protects citizens while holding accountable those responsible for financing, facilitating or protecting drug trafficking.
The message from the human rights community is clear: Liberia needs tougher action against drug networks, but that action must be grounded in evidence, transparency, accountability, human rights and equal justice.
As the politically sensitive investigation continues, Dempster said the country cannot afford halfmeasures.
The objective, he maintained, must be to strike at the heart of the drug networks while ensuring that Liberia’s pursuit of justice does not become a casualty of the very fight it is trying to win.
