By Gabriel I.H. Williams
The month of October 2025 ended with very good news for Liberia at the international level, beginning with the major diplomatic breakthrough with the United States, Liberia’s most important historical and bilateral partner in the world.
Whereas the other impressive international development in October regards the very warm reception accorded Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai by French President Emmanuel Macron a few days ago. President Boakai’s state visit to France was characterized by diplomatic pomp and pageantry reminiscence of the eras of Presidents William V.S. Tubman and William R. Tolbert, when Liberia was a top African country on the world stage – as reflected by videos and photos from Paris.
In view of the foregoing, this article is focused on the major diplomatic breakthrough with the US, and the significance of the Liberian Diaspora. According to Liberian and international media reports, the US State Department recently issued an official statement in which the United States government announced the extension of stay duration of various categories of visas for Liberians visiting the US.
Under the new policy, effective immediately, Liberian applicants for B1 (Business), B2 (Tourism), and B1/B2 (Business/Tourism Combination) visas will now receive multiple entry visas valid for three years, with no reciprocity fee attached for those who qualify.
In a statement from the Executive Mansion in Monrovia following the US State Department announcement, President Boakai welcomed the decision of the US State Department to revise its visa reciprocity schedule for Liberia, extending the validity period for certain non-immigrant visas from 12 months to 36 months.
President Boakai described the decision as “a clear demonstration of the strong and enduring partnership between Liberia and the United States, grounded in mutual respect, shared democratic values, and a common vision for progress.”
It may be recalled that this notable diplomatic breakthrough with the US comes on the heels of a very historic international development for Liberia, a founding member of the United Nations (UN). On June 3, 2025, Liberia was overwhelmingly elected to a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), an indication that Liberia is rising again on the global stage, following its devastating civil crises.
This is to applaud President Boakai and his foreign policy team, led by Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a former assistant secretary general of the UN. Foreign Minister Nyanti demonstrated leadership at the global level by handing the Boakai administration and Liberia as a whole, the country’s first major international position since the end of the civil crises.
Another major policy move by the Boakai administration was the launch of the Annual Liberian Diaspora Conference in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2025. Speaking at the three-day event, President Boakai called on Liberians in the Diaspora for more active involvement in the national rebuilding process.
The Diaspora, estimated to be over 500,000, has been one of Liberia’s greatest yet under-utilized resources. During the years of the civil upheavals and following, Liberians in the Diaspora are reported to have spent billions of dollars to support families, friends and other causes. However, without a structured forum for collaboration, efforts by Diaspora Liberians to be engaged in the national development endeavors have been fragmented and not concerted.
While applauding the Boakai administration’s historic move to establish the Annual Liberian Diaspora Conference in order to deepen engagements with the Diaspora, it is also important to note that there are growing concerns regarding how the Liberian government treats Diaspora Liberians and professionals of diverse backgrounds who decide to serve in government.
The most recent example that has sparked public debate regards the dismissal of Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, a globally renowned medical doctor, biomedical research scientist and inventor. Dr. Nyan, who left his career as a scientist in the US to return home to serve as Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), has alleged that his dismissal was politically motivated, while there are growing public calls for the President to review the matter.
I also join in beseeching the President to kindly revisit this matter in the overall interest of Liberia, given Dr. Nyan’s unique scientific background and accomplishments. As a scientist who specializes in infectious disease research, there is no question that he is a great asset to our country as we rebuild our health sector, which is very critical for the longevity of our people.
There are also examples of many Liberians who have ventured into private businesses and other investments in Liberia, which have ended in losses and heartbreaks, because of the climate of corruption that has fuelled a lack of accountability, as well as challenges navigating the legal system.
Personally, I am also a victim of some of the abuses Diaspora Liberians have suffered for extending our human and material resources in order to advance our country’s post-war recovery- apparently due to politically motivated reasons.
In my case, during the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Madam President requested me to return home to serve in respective ministerial and diplomatic capacities to strengthen government’s public information dissemination, which I did very sacrificially and successfully both at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT) and as a Liberian diplomat accredited to the US.
Unfortunately, after President George M. Weah came to power succeeding Madam President, I was abruptly fired. There was no communication regarding my dismissal, which I got to know about from news reports. To date, the Government of Liberia (GOL) has not settled my salary and rental arrears. As a result, my former landlord sued me for failure to settle my rental arrears and the court ruled against me.
Because of the court’s ruling, my once impressive credit history has been ruined, not to mention the untold financial hardship this has brought upon my family, including young people who depend on me for financial support to sustain them in school and college.
As a result of my failure to pay the shipping cost, I also lost all of my personal properties that were shipped from my Washington, DC area apartment to Liberia, following my dismissal. The personal effects that I lost included a vehicle and about 100 copies of books intended for donation to schools, which I had salvaged from the demolition of the Liberian Embassy’s library that was once very rich with historical materials – in order to create more office space.
In view of the foregoing, I wish to use the opportunity of this article to also appeal for President Boakai’s swift intervention to bring me relief from the legal and financial challenges that have arisen from the Liberian government’s failure to settle my salary and rental arrears.
Finally, this is to also applaud the officers and members of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) – a professional organization based in the Diaspora – for the successful hosting of ALJA’s 13th National Convention this past October in the Washington, DC Metro Area. The organization’s progress is a source of personal pride, as one of founding leaders, who served as the first secretary general of ALJA – under legendary journalist Kenneth Y. Best as the first president, and internationally honored journalist Isaac D. E. Bantu, vice president.
Congratulations are also in order for Hon. Samuel Stevquoah, a fellow media colleague and friend, for his recent confirmation as the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs. I regard him to be one of the best appointments President Boakai has ever made, considering the fact that Mr. Stevquoah managed the Office of then Vice President Boakai with utmost efficiency for 12 years during the Sirleaf administration. Having worked with him during the Sirleaf administration, I found him to be well focused and results-oriented.
