The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is once again at the center of controversy, as fresh allegations of covert control, politicized appointments, and internal surveillance emerge against Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti.
At the heart of the latest developments is Hon. Pearson, the current Director General of Passport and Visa Services and a former National Security Agency (NSA) operative, now described by insiders as the Minister’s “enforcer behind the curtains?”
The mounting accusations, ranging from fast-tracked diplomatic deployments for loyalists to the weaponization of security protocols, are deepening concerns about a widening culture of fear, manipulation, and institutional breakdown inside one of Liberia’s most critical ministries.
“What we are witnessing is not standard diplomacy,” said a senior Foreign Ministry staff member who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “This is a calculated system of covert loyalty enforcement and reward. The Director General [Pearson] is not just issuing passports; he’s acting as the Minister’s eyes and ears.”
Security Vetting and “Reward” Postings
Multiple sources within the Ministry allege that Hon. Pearson has quietly established a discreet vetting mechanism, where individuals recommended for foreign postings are evaluated not on merit or service record, but on political loyalty and personal affiliations with the Minister.
“We’ve had long-serving diplomats with stellar records passed over, while people with no Foreign Service experience are being flown to embassies,” another diplomatic official said. “These decisions are not being made through the usual vetting boards; they’re being made behind closed doors.”
These strategic postings are reportedly used to reward political informants, friends, and consultants, many of whom have previously worked on or around the Minister’s political activities.
A Parallel Chain of Command
The revelations support previous reports of a “parallel command structure” within the Ministry-an informal but powerful network of consultants, security affiliates, and hand-picked staff operating outside of the constitutionally established hierarchy.
“This isn’t new, it’s just more sophisticated now,” a director in one of the Ministry’s regional desks told this paper. “You have people reporting directly to her [the Minister] and Pearson-completely bypassing assistant ministers and even deputies. Files go missing. Decisions are made before meetings even start.”
According to multiple insiders, this internal, surveillance culture has instilled fear among staff. “Phones are tapped. Conversations are monitored. People are afraid to speak their minds, even in private,” said one junior diplomat. “We have become foreign policy actors in name only. Real power lies elsewhere.”
Implications for Diplomacy and Security
Analysts say the potential misuse of diplomatic postings for internal political control could have serious consequences for Liberia’s credibility abroad.
“Foreign missions are not political rewards – they are sovereign representations of the state,” said a former ambassador now based in Accra. “When political appointees and security operatives are dispatched in place of trained diplomats, we risk jeopardizing relationships with host countries and international organizations.”
Governance watchdogs are now calling for urgent investigations into the Ministry’s operations. The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and General Auditing Commission (GAC) are being urged to audit diplomatic postings, visa approvals, and travel clearances issued over the past 18 months.
“This is about more than one ministry,” said Daniel Toe, a governance analyst at the Center for Public Integrity. “This goes to the heart of state capture—where public institutions are bent to serve private and political interests. It must be confronted.”
Silence from the Top
As of press time, Minister Nyanti and Hon. Pearson have remained silent in the face of these growing allegations. Multiple attempts to reach their offices for comment went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Ministry staffs continue to report deteriorating morale and growing distrust.
“We joined foreign service to serve the Republic,” said a Foreign Service Officer based in West Africa. “Instead, we’ve become pawns in a game of political consolidation. We are losing our institutions from the inside out.”
A Tipping Point Ahead
Liberia’s imminent elevation to the United Nations Security Council in January 2026 was meant to signal a diplomatic renaissance. Instead, these internal crises risk undermining the very credibility the country hoped to project on the world stage.
“How can we claim to represent peace and transparency abroad, when we are running an opaque and politicized ministry at home?” asked a retired diplomat. “It’s a contradiction we must resolve.”
Calls are growing louder for President Joseph Boakai to intervene decisively and restore order, transparency, and meritocracy to a Ministry now teetering on the brink of institutional collapse.
