MONROVIA, Montserrado – The US State Department’s chief diplomat for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivered an address entitled ‘Securing a Peaceful and Prosperous Future for Liberia’ yesterday at the African Methodist Episcopal University. Thomas-Greenfield served as the US Ambassador to Liberia from 2008–2012 and began her remarks by noting, “Every day since I left, I’ve missed Liberia.”

The Ambassador earned a rousing reception from the audience when she announced before the predominantly student crowd, “For those of you who know me well, you know I like beer,” adding that she had enjoyed a Monrovia Breweries Club Beer for lunch beside rice and beans. The Ambassador added that her engagement with Liberia began not during her Ambassadorship, but in the late 1970s, when she was a graduate student.

The US State Department’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs outlined a predominantly optimistic view of Liberia, tempered with some caution. Emblematic of the US’ close ties with the Liberian political establishment, Thomas-Greenfield both opened and concluded her remarks by quoting inspirational passages from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Citing the incumbent Liberian administration as “a champion of democracy and peace,” Thomas-Greenfield praised the administration for signing up to international initiatives like the Open Government Partnership and promoting laws and mechanisms to promote accountability and transparency.

Despite setbacks with Ebola and falling global commodity prices, Thomas-Greenfield opined that “Liberia has moved up the democracy ladder and towards a positive future. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

At this juncture, however, Thomas-Greenfield pivoted and listed a number of threats that had the potential to destabilize the country. Citing a very poor ranking on the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings, the former ambassador noted that “Liberia is being left behind by some of its more dynamic regional neighbors, such as Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.”

She did not directly address the Global Witness report that is currently rocking Monrovia, but did observe, “We’ve got to fight corruption if we want to make economic progress.” When she added that many public servants only want to “fill their bank accounts and build their mansions,” the auditorium erupted in thundering applause.

Thomas-Greenfield was visiting Liberia by way of Nigeria, where she had attended a conference on terrorism. She warned that Liberians should be thankful that they have yet to experience the scourge that has afflicted Nigeria, the Sahel, and now, Cote d’Ivoire and that they should have no illusion that they are exempt from its threat. She urged the government to make the capacity of the security sector a priority.

The final portion of the speech examined US development assistance for Liberia. Thomas-Greenfield noted that Obama’s signature initiative, Power Africa, a drive to electrify the continent, “is making a major impact.” She also commented that Liberia has qualified for a Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, a grant package based on good governance and that this support would be transformative for both the energy and infrastructural sectors. The Ambassador concluded that the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, which brings talented African youth to the US, is training the individuals who will determine Liberia’s future and that they have responded ably by forming their own NGOs that will mentor other young Liberians.

The Ambassador concluded her remarks with reference to the 2017 presidential elections. She urged young people to vote, but stipulated, in a possible dig at the soccer superstar George Weah, that “Liberians need to get away from personality politics and address issues.” In a possible jab at the TV personality Donald Trump, she later noted that this advice was just as true for the US as well. Concluding her remarks, Thomas-Greenfield appeared to contradict this stance, stating that “we [the US] will call it like we see it. We don’t have a candidate.”

Thomas-Greenfield concludes her visit to Liberia today.

Featured photo by US Institute of Peace