Monrovia– A Liberian father residing in the United States is pleading with the Government of Liberia and international partners to take swift diplomatic action to rescue his son, who remains stranded and in grave danger in war-torn Ukraine.
By Willie Tokpah, [email protected]
Nyenetu Jarkloh, a Liberian citizen currently based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says his 21-year-old son, Julian Jarkloh, is at serious risk of forced military conscription, racist violence, and psychological trauma amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Despite multiple appeals and outreach to Liberian diplomatic missions in Europe, Mr. Jarkloh says no concrete action has been taken to extract his son from the danger zone.
Julian, a Liberian national, was born to Mr. Jarkloh and his late Ukrainian wife. During Liberia’s civil war, the family sought refuge in Ukraine but became separated over the years. Mr. Jarkloh eventually relocated to the U.S., while his wife and son remained in Ukraine. He later secured humanitarian parole for his wife, but Ukrainian authorities repeatedly denied exit requests for Julian.
That decision, Mr. Jarkloh says, led to a devastating emotional toll on Julian’s mother. In October 2024, overwhelmed by separation from her son and the escalating violence around her, she reportedly suffered a stroke after overdosing on sleeping pills and died following several days in a coma.
Since her passing, Julian has been left entirely alone. According to his father, the young man now lives in fear of being conscripted into the Ukrainian military, has received threats from extremist groups, and is showing signs of deep psychological distress, including suicidal thoughts.
“He told me he doesn’t see the point in resisting conscription anymore. He says he has no will to live,” Mr. Jarkloh stated in a letter to Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Jarkloh also said his son has been physically attacked at night by neo-Nazi skinhead groups and receives no protection from local police, who instead demand immigration papers and documentation. Julian’s only remaining identification documents are his Liberian passport and an expired refugee certificate.
Formal appeals have been submitted to the Liberian embassies in Germany and France, where officials such as Ambassador Dr. Teeko Yorlay and Minister Counselor Francis Grant have reportedly expressed concern but have not succeeded in advancing efforts to evacuate Julian.
Despite these communications, Mr. Jarkloh says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia has yet to initiate any direct intervention.
“This is a humanitarian emergency,” he wrote to Assistant Minister and Chief of Staff Saran Kaba Jones and Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti. “Every moment counts. I need help to get my son out of there before it’s too late.”
In a written account shared with the Embassy of Liberia in France, Mr. Jarkloh said his son is overwhelmed by grief, isolation, and fear. He recently received a formal military summons and believes refusal to comply could result in arrest or worse.
Julian, who has no family left in Ukraine, now survives alone in an increasingly hostile environment where African nationals report frequent racist abuse and are often denied access to protection or assistance.
“This is more than a bureaucratic delay,” Mr. Jarkloh said. “It’s the fight for my son’s life. I lived through Liberia’s war. I know what it does to people. I cannot sit by and watch the same fate take him.”
Members of the Liberian diaspora have voiced growing concern, warning that inaction could result in a preventable tragedy. Some have called on the government to act in line with its professed commitment to human rights and international diplomacy.
