Liberia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Oswald Tweh warned Tuesday that the government will take “appropriate lawful actions” against citizens and media outlets whose statements about the ongoing Liberia Guinea border crisis are judged to inflame tensions or undermine official efforts to restore calm.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information on Capitol Hill, Cllr. Tweh said the government would not tolerate “statements and analysis intended to inflame and undermine our efforts,” and urged Liberians — particularly those living along the northern frontier in Sorlumba, Foya District, Lofa County to exercise restraint.
“There have arisen numerous comments, commentaries, statements, utterances, claims, allegations, etc. on social media and the print media, about the situation at the Liberia Guinea border. These comments have the dangerous propensity of inciting fear, panic and chaos,” he said.
Tweh framed the warnings as part of a broader government strategy to manage a tense border situation that has seen Guinean forces present on Liberian territory for nearly 21 days.
He said that national security institutions are “in full control” and stressed the government’s preference for diplomatic engagement over escalation.
The Justice Minister highlighted recent high-level diplomacy as evidence of that approach, noting delegations sent to the border and a March 13 visit to Conakry.
He said President Joseph Boakai’s subsequent trip to Conakry with Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio to meet Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya resulted in a communique reaffirming “the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity” and calling for a return to peaceful coexistence.
While reiterating the government’s commitment to “the rule of law, freedom of speech and the press,” Cllr. Tweh warned that those freedoms do not shield behavior “inimical to the country and its people.”
He declined to specify what sanctions might be applied, saying only that the authorities “will not hesitate to take appropriate lawful actions” against non-state actors who act outside constitutional frameworks or provoke instability.
Tweh also cautioned the public about misinformation, noting an influx of “fake AI generated images” on social media and urging Liberians not to “rush or panic” when they encounter such material.
The government has deployed and reinforced Joint Security forces along the border, he said, and called on communities to preserve “the historical bonds of peaceful coexistence” while diplomatic channels and regional mechanisms, including the Mano River Union, continue to be engaged.
Observers say the AG’s warning raises concerns about potential chilling effects on press freedom as the government seeks to control information amid a sensitive cross border standoff.
