Truth and Reconciliation

US lobbying: War crimes fight looms over Liberia’s bicentennial

in depth

This article is part of the dossier:

Africa’s Top 10 lobbying operations in Washington, D.C

By Julian Pecquet

Premium badge Reserved for subscribers

Posted on February 28, 2022 16:53

Liberia’s President George Weah meets with a US Congressional delegation to Liberia
Liberia’s President George Weah meets with a US Congressional delegation to Liberia led by Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on 21 February 2022. (twitter @GeorgeWeahOff)

Liberia has launched a full-court lobbying effort around its bicentennial anniversary, but the opposition is putting a damper on Monrovia’s US appeal.

Back in August, President George Weah’s government hired three US lobbying and PR firms for a total of $660,000 per year: Washington lobbying firm Ice Miller Strategies, Carbon Thread Agency of Atlanta, and CNN analyst Bakari Sellers’ Strom Public Affairs in Columbia, South Carolina.

The three firms aim to help deepen relations with the US government and business community as the west African nation begins a year-long commemoration next month of the arrival of the first freed American slaves who would eventually found the country. They join KRL International, a consulting firm led by former Johnson Sirleaf campaign adviser Riva Levinson, which has had a $20,000-per-month contract with Weah’s government since January 2020.

Monrovia has begun to reap the fruits of its efforts, with President Joe Biden’s senior director for Africa, Dana Banks, leading a US delegation to Liberia on 14

There's more to this story

Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.

Subscribe Now

cancel anytime