Three senior officials of the Unity Party-led government in Liberia have posted photos on Facebook of what they described as late-night strategy sessions with "Unit 2," a term widely interpreted in political circles as a reference to Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung. The posts have stirred questions over who is really running the country, particularly at a delicate moment for the Boakai administration.
The posts come as the Boakai administration faces questions over its request that the European Union withdraw its envoy to Liberia, partly over remarks she allegedly made about Vice President Koung's reach into sectors outside his constitutional remit. The government formally asked the European Union to recall and replace its Head of Delegation, Ambassador Nona Deprez, accusing her of making statements that undermined the country's leadership, institutions, and investment climate.
The officials who posted the photos include Youth and Sports Minister Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah, Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation Mohammed "Mo" Ali, and M. Boakai Jaleiba, Vice President for Administration at the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL). None of the three posts mentions President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, sparking speculation about loyalty and power dynamics within the government.
Political watchers say the posts read less like routine party business and more like a public declaration of where loyalty lies. The hashtag #PreparingForTheSecondLeg is likely to be read as a nod to 2029, raising questions about whose second leg is being prepared. The officials' own histories add a layer of intrigue, with some insiders noting that a visible alignment with the Vice President by figures once at odds with the President's inner circle is hard to dismiss as coincidence.
A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pushed back on the reading that the posts signal a power struggle. The official claimed that President Boakai had approved the meeting, which was primarily to discuss growing disenchantment among young people in the party. However, the source conceded that the party's troubles run deeper, with many young people wanting to hold onto their jobs and not pay attention to the party.
Critics are less forgiving, noting that most of those in the room owe their positions to President Boakai. They argue that the optics are bad, with the President seemingly not being directly involved in the meetings. If the meeting was sanctioned by the President, the officials chose to tell the public it was with "Unit 2," not him. In Liberian politics, such messaging is rarely accidental.
The episode lands on a government already defending itself against claims that power has drifted from the Executive Mansion. The incident has sparked concerns about the dynamics of power within the Boakai administration and the role of Vice President Koung.
Key points
- The Unity Party officials' posts have sparked questions over who wields power in the Boakai government.
- The government had asked the European Union to recall its envoy to Liberia over remarks she allegedly made about Vice President Koung's role.
- The incident has sparked concerns about the dynamics of power within the Boakai administration and the role of Vice President Koung.
