Liberia Declares Drug Crisis National Emergency Amid Corruption Allegations

The government of Liberia has declared a national emergency in response to a surge in the trafficking and use of cocaine and kush, which officials describe as a direct threat to the nation's youth and human capital. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, called for aggressive enforcement to disrupt drug networks and oversaw a budget increase for the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency to $4.5 million to improve equipment and expand rehabilitation centers.

Despite these measures, the Liberia Protest Coalition, representing 37 civil society organizations and political parties, petitioned the United States Embassy in Monrovia on June 16, 2026. The coalition requested an international investigation into a US$19 million drug scandal, citing a lack of transparency and public trust in the current administration's ability to prosecute narcotics crimes impartially. The group warned that systemic impunity risks turning the country into a hub for international trafficking.

President Joseph Boakai and former presidents George Weah and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have all emphasized the need to protect young people from addiction. However, critics argue that high-level traffickers frequently avoid the severe legal consequences faced by end-users, which has led to accusations that the country is becoming a narco-state.