FreedomNews:
The Liberian government, led by President Joe Boakai, is facing a challenging situation regarding appointing Ambassador Dee Maxwell Kemayah as the Resident Representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Sierra Leone.
The Ministers of State for Presidential Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby and Sara Beysolow Nyanti, have officially objected to Ambassador Kemayah’s appointment and his recommended Ambassador Marjon Kamara. However, this decision appears to be at odds with the authority of the ECOWAS Commission, which has the final say on the matter.
The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government decided to appoint Ambassador Kemayah citing his competencies, skills, and the respect he has garnered while working with ECOWAS and the Commission as Liberia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister. Despite this, the Boakai government, in agreement with President Joe Boakai, is opposing the appointment due to Ambassador Kemayah’s association with former President George Weah, something many will describe as Witch-Hunting.
The Liberian government’s request for ECOWAS to reconsider Ambassador Kemayah’s appointment has been rejected, and they have now urged President Boakai to ask President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone to revoke the approval for Ambassador Kemayah’s appointment. Furthermore, they have encouraged President Boakai to discuss this issue with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other ECOWAS leaders at the recent ECOWAS Summit.
If the Boakai administration’s actions lead to the ECOWAS Commission President rescinding the decision to appoint Ambassador Kemayah, Liberia may miss the opportunity to have one of its citizens serve as an Ambassador or Resident Representative of ECOWAS, which could have significant diplomatic and regional implications for the country.
