The government of Liberia has recalled all its Ambassadors, citing the expiration of their tenures. The call was contained in a statement made public by the minister of foreign affairs and dean of the cabinet, Ambassador Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr.
Speaking to pressmen present at a briefing held at the Ministry of Information in Monrovia, Amb. Kemayah, Sr., said that the government did not want to make their decision public. However, he admitted that it was circumstances that compelled the government to act.
“We didn’t initially intend to publicize this information, as we typically manage ministry affairs privately, but circumstances have compelled us to implement these regulations,” he said.
Though the press briefing was silent on many questions, it addressed the issue concerning Doris Dickson, the Liberian ambassador to the United Kingdom, who was recently replaced by an administrative officer at the Liberian Embassy in the UK.
He stated that some of the ambassadors have used up their elongated tenures, including those who have served at a mission for 20 years.
Amb. Kemayah, Snr, further stated that some of the ambassadors have refused to return after the expiration of their terms and, in some instances, after a notice of recall is issued.
According to him, whenever they do this, they leverage social media to advance untrue information, all in a bid to secure political asylum in the host country or somewhere else.
He bemoaned their allegations against him as being the ones whose aim is to target and destroy the reputation ambassadors have built over the years.
In defense, the government stated that the values and principles guiding diplomatic practice are strictly followed and that the government has remained fervent in the pursuit of constitutional provisions.
Amb. Kemayah, Sr., advised officers and staff of the embassy to make sure they regularize their documents if they wish to stay back in the host country after the expiration of their tenure, as he cannot grant them diplomatic status beyond the statutory time as stipulated in the principles guiding Liberia diplomacy. And while the reform of the ministry continues, the tenure duration in the Foreign Service stays at three years.
“So the country varies; for Germany, it is ten years, and for the USA, it is five years, but for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is three years maximum before you serve in the Foreign Service,” he said.
The Liberian government under President George Opong Weah has faced serious backlash from some of its Ambassadors, despite his efforts to reorganize the country’s Foreign Service.
