MONROVIA – The president of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) has issued a strong denial regarding reports published by FrontPage Africa and the Daily Observer on March 13, 2025, suggesting that he endorsed Vice President Jeremiah Koung for the 2029 presidential election.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
In a statement, Mohamed Keita, clarified, “Let it be made abundantly clear that at no point have I, nor has ULAA, endorsed Vice President Koung or any other political candidate for the upcoming election.”
He emphasized that ULAA remains committed to its non-partisan stance, which is a core principle of the organization’s mission.
The ULAA statement further reaffirmed, “Our unwavering political neutrality is a cornerstone of our mission, ensuring that ULAA remains a platform that truly represents all Liberians, regardless of their political affiliations.”
Keita explained that his remarks during a Town Hall meeting on March 8, 2025 in Philadelphia had been misunderstood and taken out of context.
He stated that his comments were intended to promote dialogue and strengthen the relationship between the Liberian government and the diaspora community, particularly advocating for key issues like the right to vote from abroad and the establishment of safety nets for returning Liberians.
“These are essential topics in ensuring that all Liberians — whether at home or abroad — are fully integrated into the democratic process,” Keita said.
Looking ahead to the 2029 elections, Keita reiterated that ULAA would continue engaging constructively with the government and all stakeholders to advance policies benefiting Liberians worldwide.
He made it clear that ULAA’s focus remains on advocating for the rights and interests of all Liberians, without endorsing or supporting any specific candidate.
“Our commitment ensures that ULAA remains a unifying force for the Liberian community, upholding our policy of neutrality in all political matters,” Keita concluded.
ULAA expressed its gratitude for the ongoing support of its members and the broader Liberian community, reaffirming its mission to advocate for a brighter, more inclusive future for all Liberians.
As part of efforts in fully implementing the Organization’s Gender Actions Plan (OGAP) in all activities of partners of the Green Livelihoods Alliance (GLA) in 2025, the Rural Integrated Center for Community Empowerment (RICCE) Friday March 14, 2025 held a one-day technical meeting.
Friday’s gathering brought together partners including the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), The Daylight, Community Rights Support Facility (CRSF), and RICCE respectively.
The purpose of the meeting was to help partners to review the OGAP, share progress, made on its implementation, challenges and design strategies to address these challenges.
Under the GLA 2.0 Forest for a Just Future Program, RICCE is hired as the Gender Technical Partner by the Global Forest Coalition (GFC), an alliance member of the GLA to provide technical support to partners on gender transformation and inclusion into all GLA programs. RICCE is mandated to ensure that all Liberia GLA partners’ project implementation is gender inclusive and gender responsive in accordance with the GLA mandate.
The purpose of the meeting was to provide technical support for partners to implement OGAP as they begin GLA activities for 2025. OGAP is crucial because it specifically addresses the needs and challenges faced by women, ensuring that they are actively in the planning and implementation of projects.
In an introductory statement, the Program Manager of RICCE, Madam Renee N. Gibson reminded participants that the meeting underscored the importance of gender considerations into all aspects of GLA activities, ensuring that women, marginalized groups and disabled people play a vibrant role in the decision-making processes.
Madam Gibson stressed that implementing the OGAP will further strengthen partners’ capacities. She said “Gender equality is not just a goal; it’s a pathway to achieving greatness for women and rural communities.”
Also speaking, Madam Korpo Davis, Human Resource Officer at the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) who opened the meeting with a warm welcome also emphasized on the importance of fully implementing the OGAP at all levels in SDI.
The one-day intensive technical meeting further improved partners’ capacity with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement OGAP effectively. This interactive discussion was facilitated by Dayugar Johnson, an Experienced Facilitator as RICCE Program Consultant.
At the meeting, participants shared their success stories, challenges, and acknowledged that integrating gender actions into their projects was extremely significant.
In the end, they assured RICCE that they will work collectively in implementing the OGAP ensuring that each partner’s approach is designed to the unique needs of their projects. They recognized that their combined efforts could lead to meaningful outcomes for GLA and partners.
Visibly seen with excitement, the participants concluded with a renewed motivation and a clear understanding of their roles in executing the OGAP. They are now prepared not only with technical knowledge, but also with the assurance that their contributions would support the primary mission of the Green Livelihoods
