‘Stand Up to Corruption,’ US Envoy Calls on Liberians

The US Ambassador Michael A. McCarthy has given his government backing to any peaceful stand-up action that would be geared towards tackling pervasive corruption which “remains the primary cause of [Liberia’s] failure to thrive.”

At a press conference on August 15, the Ambassador noted that while his government remains a committed partner in the fight against corruption in Liberia, ​he hopes that the people would stand up peacefully to the scourge and say NO, “since the government too often acted in a way that erodes the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts.”

McCarthy spoke in defense of the Biden administration's decision to impose sanctions on three key officials in the administration of President George Weah. The three officials, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill; Managing Director of the National Port Authority, Bill Twehway; and Solicitor General Saymah Syrenius Cephus, are accused of corrupt acts that “undermine the country’s fragile democracy.” They have now been suspended by the President and subjected to investigations.

The US envoy noted that the sanctions decision was not something that his government took lightly, but considered it an extraordinary step because “extraordinary steps are necessary to tackle the cancer of corruption in Liberia.”

But, he said, the main fight squarely lies ultimately in the hands of Liberians to take full advantage of the opportunity, and make the kind of fundamental changes that perhaps are more possible now, “because of these sanctions, than they were yesterday.”

“As they say in Latin, carpe diem: seize the day! Do not let this opportunity slip by and allow a return to the status quo. It is my hope that those who are today being victimized by the corrupt activities of these and other individuals will feel empowered to stand up and say ‘no more’,” the Ambassador said. “It is my hope that Liberians do not view these sanctions as punishment for the country, but rather view them for what they are: an opportunity to chart a new course."

“As the Department of State Spokesperson said in a statement [yesterday], these designations reflect our commitment to implementing the United States Strategy on Countering Corruption, and it is our hope that they will help Liberia chart a different course forward.”

The issue of corruption of late has been a major flashpoint in the US-Liberia bilateral relationship, with McCarthy and other high-profile US government officials calling for action. 

The likes of Dana Banks, a Special Assistant to Biden and Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council Dana Banks and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United Nations and former Ambassador to Liberia have all joined the call for an end to pervasive corruption in the country.

“Too many of Liberia’s leaders have chosen their own personal short-term gain over the long-term benefit of their country. The expectation, sometimes, is that the United States and the rest of the international community will step in to solve Liberia’s long-term problems,” Banks said in a remark at the bicentennial celebration in Monrovia on February 14. “So let me be clear, the United States is a proud and dedicated partner and friend of Liberia. But ultimately, only the Liberian Government and the Liberian people can tackle corruption, fight for accountability and transparency, and move this country forward.”

Thomas-Greenfield in remark on March 31, at the Wilson Center forum, stated that "Corruption is an act of robbery, plain and simple. It's a cancer in our societies. It is government stealing from the people of Liberia, from the mouths of children …. Corruption is a democracy killer, and we cannot have that in a place like Liberia, which we're counting on as a bulwark for Africa's democracy. To me, this is the most pressing, it's the most forward-looking challenge facing Liberia today. Anditis, frankly, one that we need to work on. And it's frankly up to the leadership of Liberia to fix. Only Liberia's leaders, with the backing of and pressure from the people of Liberia, can create the environment of transparency and accountability the country needs."

However, McCarthy said despite the plea from two of Biden’s high-profile officials, that corruption has worsened to the point that it is now the dominant issue in a bilateral relationship that would otherwise show far more promise.

He added that this is the reason why the Treasury Department has designated McGill, Twehway, and Cephus — because they have been directly contributing to the problem. And rather than seeking ways to fight corruption for the betterment of Liberia, “these individuals have consistently advanced corruption within this government, to the detriment of Liberia and all Liberians.”

The US envoy noted that in the US, the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch agree 100% on Liberia policy — they are both calling for action on the primary cause of Liberia's ‘failure to thrive’ — a long-term infestation of rampant and pervasive corruption.

“What we have found is that Liberia’s government leadership has too often acted in a way that erodes the effectiveness of these anti-corruption efforts, rather than acting as true partners and bolstering these efforts. The worsening corruption situation has resulted in a greater number of US officials publicly calling out Liberia. Liberia deserves high praise in 2022 for courageously standing up for human rights on the international stage. The media environment in Liberia today serves as an enviable model of liberty and free speech."

“But nineteen years after the end of the civil war and seven years after the rebirth of Liberia, following the Ebola Virus epidemic, Liberia still lists as one of the ten poorest countries on the globe,” McCarthy said. “It is my hope that those Liberians, who have been victimized by the corrupt activities of these individuals, will take a small measure of comfort that we are helping to hold them accountable.

“Corruption steals from the poorest, it blunts or negates the impact of all of our development projects, it defeats initiatives before they are even launched, and it raises risk and uncertainty to drive away foreign investment.”