LIBERIA’S ELECTION TO THE United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member for the 2026–2027 term was meant to be a moment of collective national pride — a diplomatic triumph for a nation striving to reclaim its image after decades of conflict and fragility.
IT SHOULD HAVE been a time to celebrate the fruits of persistent international engagement, a time to affirm Liberia’s place on the world stage.
INSTEAD, THAT UNIFYING moment was marred by a deafening silence — one that beyond words and plunged the country back into the familiar trenches of political division.
WHEN PRESIDENT JOSEPH Boakai addressed the nation to declare the achievement via a speech posted on the Executive Mansion’s Facebook page, he did what many expected. He lauded the resilience of the Liberian people, commended his diplomatic team, and paid tribute to former presidents such as Joseph Jenkins Roberts, Edwin Barclay, William V.S. Tubman, William R. Tolbert Jr., and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for their contributions to Liberia’s global image.
BUT GLARINGLY ABSENT from his remarks was even a passing acknowledgment of former President George Weah — the man whose administration launched Liberia’s bid for a seat at the UNSC and spent years navigating the complex terrain of international diplomacy to make that dream possible.
THIS WAS NOT an oversight. It was intentional. And it was deeply troubling.
POLITICAL TRANSITIONS, PARTICULARLY in fledgling democracies, offer rare opportunities for unity. They are windows through which sitting leaders can rise above political rivalry and place national interest above party gain. President Boakai was handed such a window with Liberia’s UNSC election. But instead of grasping it, he shut it.
PRESIDENT BOAKAI’S OMISSION of Weah was not merely a case of bad optics — it was a calculated political act that undermines the very spirit of diplomacy that the Security Council represents. In doing so, President Boakai may have won the applause of his partisan base, but he forfeited a rare opportunity to model statesmanship in a country that desperately needs it.
TO SET THE record straight Liberia’s journey to the UNSC seat began during the tenure of Weah. His government developed the initial strategic plan, engaged with regional blocs such as ECOWAS and the African Union, and launched Liberia’s diplomatic charm offensive to win votes.
THESE ARE NOT opinions; they are facts backed by timelines, official communiqués, and international diplomatic engagement records.
IT IS ALSO WORTH noting that in his final State of the Nation address in January 2023, President Weah highlighted the progress his administration had made in positioning Liberia for the UNSC seat. That vision, that foundation, paved the way for the eventual success. The Boakai administration did well to complete the journey, but it did not begin it.
TO COMPLETELY ERASE the contribution of a former president, particularly one who led the nation during the critical formative stages of this bid, is not only unfair — it is undemocratic.
IT IS LITTLE wonder that opposition voices from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) –Weah’s political party –reacted with outrage. Figures such as Jefferson Koijee, Regan Saydee, and Nelson Rhodan did not simply protest out of partisan loyalty.
THEIR CRITICISMS REFLECTED a larger concern that Liberia’s politics remains locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat, where acknowledging the contribution of a political opponent is seen as weakness rather than maturity.
KOIJEE WAS BLUNT, calling the silence “revisionist” — and many agree. History must be told in full, not carved to suit temporary political narratives. Liberia’s political elite must realize that leadership is not measured by how effectively one erases the footprints of a predecessor, but by how one builds upon them with honesty and humility.
BY DENYING WEAH even a footnote in the narrative of this diplomatic achievement, Boakai effectively narrowed a national success into a partisan talking point. It was a disservice not only to Weah, but to the Liberian people — who deserve leaders capable of rising above political tribalism in moments that call for collective celebration.
FOREIGN MINISTER SARA Beysolow Nyanti has argued that while the idea began under Weah, it was her team that implemented it with urgency and resolve. That may be true. The current government does deserve credit for bringing the bid to fruition, but not at the cost of historical honesty.
THE REFUSAL TO acknowledge Weah’s foundational role suggests a broader issue of political insecurity. For a government that ran on a platform of “rescue” and “renewal,” it is perplexing that it would miss an opportunity to highlight the power of continuity.
IN STABLE DEMOCRACIES, one administration’s success is often built on the groundwork of its predecessor. There is no shame in that. In fact, it is how nations move forward—by building, not breaking.
LIBERIA’S NEW ROLE at the UNSC is symbolic of its return to global relevance. It will be at the table when decisions are made on peacekeeping missions, sanctions, and international security. It gives Liberia a voice, a vote, and a visibility it has not enjoyed in decades.
BUT WHAT IS the point of that visibility if the nation remains consumed by internal bickering? How can Liberia speak with credibility on global peace and reconciliation when its leaders cannot reconcile at home over a shared success?
ALREADY, CIVIL SOCIETY groups such as STAND have issued sobering reminders that this seat is not just a reward — it is a responsibility. Chairman Mulbah Morlu rightly warned that Liberia’s international face must match its domestic reality.
THE UNSC SPOTLIGHT will only magnify the contradictions between image and truth, especially if human rights violations, suppression of dissent, or incompetence continue unchecked at home.
PRESIDENT BOAKAI STILL has a chance to course-correct. A subsequent statement or acknowledgment, even if delayed, would send a powerful message. Not only would it validate the work of those who came before him, but it would also demonstrate to Liberians — and the world — that the country’s new leadership is capable of uniting the nation under shared values rather than deepening divisions through silence and selective memory.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, the Boakai administration must now deliver. The symbolic victory of the UNSC seat must be matched by real reforms at home such as improved healthcare, strengthened education, job creation, and respect for human rights. Otherwise, the seat will become nothing more than a diplomatic mask covering a decaying foundation.
HISTORY is watching.
AND HISTORY WILL record not only that Liberia won a UNSC seat — but also how its leaders responded to that moment. President Boakai’s silence on George Weah may have seemed politically convenient in the short term, but in the long term, it speaks to a deeper challenge: the inability of Liberia’s political class to transcend electoral cycles and embrace national continuity.
THIS IS THE time to be bigger than politics. To celebrate not just this government or that leader, but Liberia. All of Liberia.To do less is to squander a rare and precious opportunity.
