Monrovia, Liberia’s recent strides in democratic governance have ushered in new hope, symbolized by the election of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
But behind this historic victory lies a growing undercurrent of frustration, one led by the very youths who helped secure that triumph.
Lasana S. Kanneh, a staunch steward of the Unity Party and outspoken youth leader, has voiced deep disappointment over what he describes as “betrayal and neglect” by senior officials within the party.
For Kanneh and many like him, the sense of disillusionment is palpable.
“These were not casual participants,” Kanneh stated in a passionate social media post. “They were the pulse of the Unity Party’s campaign machine.”
Youth activists, he noted, worked tirelessly across Liberia, investing their energy, hopes, and personal safety in a vision for national renewal.
Kanneh reflected on the Unity Party’s past, recalling it as a “beacon of unity and youthful aspiration.”
He said the party once embodied the collective dreams of a generation seeking change, not through handouts, but through conviction.
“We answered the call not expecting favors,” he emphasized. “And if history calls us again, we would respond without hesitation.”
While tension and backlash from former President George Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) were anticipated, Kanneh said the most painful betrayal has come from within.
“Our restraint should not be mistaken for weakness, nor our silence for complicity. We gave the Unity Party time to settle, hoping it would recognize the debt it owes its youthful vanguard. But that hope has withered,” Lasana S. Kanneh of the UP Youth Alliance asserted.
According to him, the Unity Party’s once-loyal foot soldiers now find themselves ignored, unemployed, and unrecognized, while individuals who actively opposed the party during the election are being rewarded with influence and opportunity.
“This is not merely a cry for jobs—it is a demand for justice, inclusion, and principle,” Kanneh argued. “The same party that stood against marginalization now perpetuates it.” Despite their patience, the youth feel their endurance is wearing thin. “Silence must not be mistaken for surrender,” he warned.
Kanneh lamented that the party seems to have lost its connection to its grassroots foundation.
“The Unity Party we revered has become detached, drifting from its founding ideals. But Liberia’s youth are not broken. Though wounded, we are not defeated. We will rise again—not in rebellion, but in demand for the justice and respect we deserve.”
Council of Patriots for JNB/JKK Echoes Concerns
Kanneh’s grievances were echoed in a recent statement by the Council of Patriots for JNB/JKK (COP 4 JNB/JKK), a youth coalition that supported President Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung during the 2023 elections.
In a May 19, 2025 press release, COP 4 JNB/JKK praised President Boakai’s leadership under the ARREST Agenda during economic hardships but condemned what it termed “ongoing marginalization” of the youth—particularly by Minister of Information Jerolinmek Matthew Piah.
The coalition accused Minister Piah of defying a direct presidential order to provide educational and employment opportunities to 32 members of the group, despite a personal meeting between the youth leaders and the President on November 4, 2024.
“While our members were being hunted, nearly assaulted, and our guest house nearly burned in the volatile Southeast, Minister Piah was comfortably abroad,” the statement read. “It was President Boakai who personally called us during that time, offering guidance and assurance. And yet today, we are forgotten—sidelined like trucks that built the mansion but are no longer allowed to drive past it.”
They further alleged that a “bureaucratic cartel” within the administration, led by Minister Piah, has undermined the President’s inclusive vision, calling it a betrayal of the youth’s sacrifices during the campaign.
The coalition expressed gratitude to Madam Moriene Nyumah for facilitating their access to the President and urged him to uphold his promise.
They reaffirmed their loyalty to the ARREST Agenda but demanded swift corrective measures.
Growing Discontent Across the Country
The discontent is not isolated. Across the country, various UP youth chapters have begun speaking out.
In Bong County, the local Youth Chapter of the Unity Party recently held a peaceful protest, citing betrayal and neglect by senior officials of the party.
With mounting pressure from disillusioned youth groups, political analysts warn that the growing frustration, if left unaddressed, could erode the very base that brought the Unity Party to power.
As calls for inclusion grow louder, it remains to be seen whether President Boakai and his administration will act swiftly to rebuild trust with the very youths who were once the heartbeat of their movement.
