In a decisive move, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has announced the immediate cancellation of all positions for Ambassadors-at-Large, Special Envoys, and Trade and Investment Representatives.
President Boakai made the pronouncement on Thursday, October 24, 2024, in Monrovia.
This directive reflects a shift in the administration’s approach to foreign relations and the appointment of foreign service staff.
“By directive of the President, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, all Ambassadors-at-Large, Special Envoys, Trade and Investment Representatives are hereby canceled with immediate effect.”
The president, in his directive indicated that re-appointments for these roles will occur as necessary, aligned with the country’s current governance needs.
A release from the Ministry of Information quotes the president as saying future appointments of Ambassadors and Special Envoy will be guided by specific terms of reference and clearly defined reporting structures within the framework of Liberia’s foreign policy.
“Re-appointments will be made based on the country’s governance need for the roles in the current dispensation. The re-appointments will also come with clear and specific terms of references and reporting lines within the framework of the country’s Foreign Policy Direction,” the release highlighted.
From time to time, the president designates special diplomatic envoys for specific assignments, primarily overseas.
The president usually appoints Ambassadors at Large to Foreign Missions to deal with specific foreign policy issues that have been frequently, but not always, spelled in their commissions.
However the Liberian Leader did not state in clear terms his decision for terminating the positions of ambassadorial and envoys.
Many diplomatic pundits have welcomed the president’s latest decisions by recalling these ambassadors and revoking their statuses, noting that they are not seeing the dividends for which these ambassadors were appointed to those foreign missions.
Though the President did not give any specific reason for his cancellation, Verity News has been tipped by a high-profile security agent that Pres. Boakai’s decision was based on the fact that some ambassadors-at-large were using Liberia’s Diplomatic Passports for transnational criminal activities.
Liberians home and abroad are watching keenly to see the president’s next course of action in the coming days or weeks.
