A high- level delegation from ECOWAS is in Liberia following a formal complaint from the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) political leader, George Weah.
On Saturday, the immediate past President officially reported what he described as an “unprovoked attack” by the Boakai- Koung administration on the headquarters of his political party to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Weah also sent copies of the complaint to key diplomatic missions in Liberia, including the U.S. Embassy, the United Nations and the European Union.
On Thursday, August 22, a drug raid conducted by joint security forces near the CDC’s national headquarters in Monrovia escalated into violence when police clashed with CDC partisans.
In a letter addressed to the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Turay, on behalf of the CDC, Weah urged ECOWAS to take proactive diplomatic steps to ensure that Liberia’s fledgling democracy is not jeopardized by the current administration’s misuse of power.
He called for ECOWAS’s intervention to secure the release of partisans and other Liberians who were arrested and detained at the Monrovia Central Prison.
“Following the ill-fated raid at our headquarters, the government has detained scores of our partisans and other citizens on trumped-up charges. We demand their immediate and unconditional release,” Weah stated.
Weah noted that, a similar incident occurred on August 5, 2024, when heavily armed security forces breached the CDC headquarters. He claimed that these actions are part of a broader strategy by President Joseph Boakai to diminish the CDC’s political influence.
Meanwhile, the communication by ECOWAS in response to Weah stated, “I have the honor and pleasure to present my compliments and wish to inform your Excellency that Omar Alieu TOURAY, President of the ECOWAS Commission will be in Liberia for a one-day working visit on 27″ August 2024.”
The communication further that the delegation will arrive in Liberia on Monday, August 26, and depart on August 28 and continued, “In this regard, the delegation would like to meet with your Excellency on 26 August 2024 in your Offices at 19h00. It would highly appreciated if Your Excellency’s Office would confirm if the proposed date and time is convenient.”
