By Laurina B Lormia
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) delegation in Liberia has praised President Joseph Boakai and the Liberian people for skillfully managing the transition.
Holding their first discussion with President Boakai and his government officials on key regional issues, the ECOWAS representatives emphasized the significance of the Boakai-led accomplishments.
The meeting held Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the Executive Mansion targeted at strengthening regional stability, boosting economic growth and improving the overall quality of life in West Africa.
The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, emphasized the Community’s commitment to supporting Liberia and highlighted key areas such as economic growth, strengthened democracy, as well as peace and security.
According to him, though their visit aligns with a recent communication from the former ruling party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the trip had been planned well in advance of those developments.
He clarified that his visit was part of a long-standing arrangement, not a reaction to recent concerns raised by former President Weah.
He continued to congratulate President Boakai and the people of Liberia clarifying that, the delegation is here to reaffirm ECOWAS’s support for Liberia in its nation-building efforts.
He reiterated that during his visit to Nairobi, he informed the Deputy Minister about his official visit to Liberia injecting, “If my visit happens to coincide with communications from the former party, it is purely coincidental.”
Meanwhile, the Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana confirmed that President Boakai assured the ECOWAS delegation that there was no connection between his administration and recent political issues. She highlighted President Boakai’s commitment to peace and fairness for all political actors.
According to her, President Boakai has been engaging with the legislative and judicial branches of government, as well as key political figures, including Alexander Cummings of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), to foster unity and reinforce Liberia’s democratic foundations.
“The President emphasized his government’s commitment to treating all political actors fairly and ensuring that no opposition figures are targeted adding that, his government had no intention to disrupt activities at the CDC headquarters.
“Instead, there was a raid on drug substances around the CDC headquarters that some individuals had insisted upon, which led to a complete disorganization,” she concluded.
