ABUJA, NIGERIA-Liberia‘s Foreign Minister Dee Maxwell Kemayah’s message was contained in a statement for the Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on July 30, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria, when he represented President George Weah.
A press statement from the Embassy of Liberia in Abuja says excerpts of the Foreign Minister’s Speech on behalf of the President of Liberia are as follows: “This extremely shocking news (of the coup d’état in Niger) was received when President George Weah, Officials of the Government of Liberia, Visiting Presidents from ECOWAS Member States, in persons of H.E. Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, and H.E. Mr. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, the Doyen and Dean and Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps in Liberia; respectively, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Liberia and Representatives of International Organizations and the entire Liberian nation, were attending the formal program, commemorating the 176th Independence Anniversary of the Republic of Liberia on July 26, 2023, with all the symbolisms and honors appertaining to democratic tenets; inclusive of governance, rule of law and peace. Liberia, therefore, received this disturbing, sad, and calamitous news with the utmost disdain and great consternation as another anticlimax of constitutional democracy in our ECOWAS region.”
“The Government of the Republic of Liberia, therefore, categorically condemns in the strongest terms possible, this unlawful, illegal, and unconstitutional action perpetrated by some elements of the Army of Niger, and considers it, as an affront to the democratic will of the fraternal people of Niger, who chose their leaders in a democratic process, and an open defiance of the overarching resolve and stance of ECOWAS in opposing any form of ascendency to power through constitutional and undemocratic means.”
“In the same vein, the Government of the Republic of Liberia strongly supports to the fullest, and calls on the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, the African Union, United Nations, and the International Community, in support and defense of Democracy, Constitutional Order and International rule-based order, to leave no stone unturned in exerting every possible pressure on the Military Leaders in Niger, and ensure that, said Military Junta in Niger unconditionally and immediately releases the constitutional and democratically elected President of the Republic of Niger, H.E. President Mohamed Bazoum and his Family and Officials; withdraw its forces to the barracks, where it belongs, and restore the elected and legitimate President of Niger, H.E. President Mohamed Bazoum to his constitutional and democratic backed and merited position of President of the Republic of Niger, and return the country to constitutional order without further delay and conditions.”
“Liberia fully aligns itself with the respective positions of the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, the United Nations, and all friendly democratic governments in condemning the unpalatable coup in Niger.”
“Liberia wishes to make it unequivocally clear, that it strongly opposes any act of unconstitutional change of Government while reiterating its absolute zero tolerance to all forms of undemocratic means of ascending to State power.
Liberia resolutely believes that in order to discourage any act of unconstitutional ascendency to State power in our ECOWAS sub-region or any other sub-region for that matter, an ECOWAS or the relevant sub-regional organization, African Union, United Nations, and/or international coalition-based concerted stronger, more forceful and clear action must be taken against perpetrators beyond the usual imposition of sanctions and isolation of the putschists, this which seems to be ignored, and ineffective to a large extent.”
“Hence, Liberia welcomes, extols, and fully supports the pronouncement of His Excellency President Tinubu of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chair of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, in support and defense of democracy and constitutional order, and to be tough and uncompromising with perpetrators of unconstitutional and undemocratic actions.
His Excellency President Chairman Tinubu made said impactful pronouncement on Sunday, July 9, 2023, at the last ECOWAS Summit in Bissau, Guinea Bissau, when he assumed the Chairmanship of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.”
“Liberia further wishes to recognize and congratulate the Great, Patriotic, Peace Loving and Democratic People of Niger for their profound courage, resilience, determination, support, empathy, and solidarity with democracy, constitutional order, and rule of law, and urge them to remain steadfast in supporting democracy, and the urgent return to constitutional order and the rule of law in Niger.”
“The Putschists and so-called National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP), which claims to be in charge of Niger, is incohesive, lacks vision, and completely falls short of having a coordinated plan for advancing their selfish efforts and desire.”
“Liberia lauds His Excellency President Tinubu, the astute Chair of our Community, for his leadership and pro-activeness in dispatching a High-Level ECOWAS Delegation to Niger, following the announcement of the coup d’état; and supports His Excellency President Chairman Tinubu’s appointment of a Special Envoy on Niger.
Further, Liberia proposes, and supports the inclusion in the Final Communiqué of today’s Extraordinary Session of this July 30, 2023 Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government the dispatch of a High-Level ECOWAS Delegation; including, but not limited to Chiefs of Defense Staff and/or Chiefs of Staff of Armed Forces, to Niger; to in no uncertain terms, point out to the Military Junta or Coup Plotters in Niger the consequences of delaying their full adherence to and/or not fully complying with the provisions or terms of conditions specified in the Final Communiqué of this ECOWAS Summit; including, but not limited to unconditionally and immediately releasing the constitutional and democratically elected President of the Republic of Niger, President Mohamed Bazoum and his Family; the Military Junta withdrawing its forces to the barracks where it belongs, and restoring the elected and legitimate President of Niger, President Mohamed Bazoum to his constitutional and democratic backed and merited position of President of the Republic of Niger, and returning the country to constitutional order without further delay and conditions.”
In other development, Minister Kemayah stated President Weah’s unequivocal stance to the Liberian People and the World in general, for the conduct of a free, fair, transparent, peaceful, inclusive, credible, and democratic elections on October 10, 2023.
He said:” “Liberia, therefore, looks forward to the partnership of ECOWAS in fully supporting its electoral process that will meaningfully contribute to the consolidation of democracy in our region.”
Minister Kemayah also reiterated Liberia’s message of Liberia’s zero-tolerance of the coup, and President Weah’s strong posture on free and fair elections in Liberia’s pending general elections to Michael G. Heath, the United States Department of State’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for West Africa and the Sahel, at a meeting in Abuja on the sidelines of the emergency summit.
In response, Deputy Secretary Heath thanked Minister Kemayah for the detailed briefing and said the United States would like to see a violent free resolution of the impasse in Niger.
He also expressed the United States’ best wishes for Liberia’s forthcoming elections.
“We hope to see the clear will of the Liberian electorates and the tabulation of the results by electoral districts,” the Secretary suggested.
Deputy Secretary Heath accepted Minister Kemayah’s invitation to visit Liberia soon.
Meanwhile, in a strongly worded Communiqué, the ECOWAS Authority took the following measures against Niger at the Summit on Sunday, July 30th in Abuja: “Closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger; Institution of ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger; Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger; Freeze of all service transactions including utility services; Freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks; Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the State Enterprises and Parastatals in Commercial Banks; Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBIB and BOAD; Travel Ban and asset freeze for the military officials involved in the coup attempt.
The same applies to their family members and the civilians who accept to participate in any institutions or government established by these military officials; Calls on WAEMU and all other regional bodies to implement this decision.”
