President Weah appointed the first members of his Cabinet, all of them men, largely naming allies from his political party, but picking a foreign minister close to former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. FPA – Old Names, New Names Surfacing in President Weah’s First Cabinet Appointments The Nation – Weah Makes First Appointments The chairman of Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party, Nathaniel McGill, becomes Minister of State and Chief of Staff. Senior CDC official Samuel Tweah becomes Finance Minister, while Liberian lawyer Charles Gibson, a friend of Weah’s, becomes Justice Minister. Sam Mannah, the president’s press aide from his years as a senator, becomes his Press Secretary. Weah appointed former Unity Party senator Gbehzohngar Findley to the key post of Foreign Minister. According to Front Page Africa, Findley had initially supported Sirleaf’s vice-president, Joseph Boakai, who lost to Weah in December. He switched allegiance in August, resigned from the party and began openly backing Weah as it became clear that Sirleaf would not campaign for Boakai. Major General Daniel Ziankhan retired as Chief of Staff of Liberia’s armed forces and becomes Weah’s Defense Minister, while his deputy, Brigadier General Charles Johnson, succeeds him as Chief of Staff. The appointment of Gibson as Justice Minister has become controversial because he is reportedly suspended from practicing law in Liberia as a result of unethical practices. Observer – Weah’s ‘Justice Minister’ Under Suspension by Supreme Court Sirleaf’s Information Minister, Eugene Nagbe, and Education Minister George Werner remain in their positions as of now.
Front Page Africa reports on the political challenges facing Weah after the inauguration fanfare. Over 20 international, African, and Liberian human rights organizations sent an open letter to President George Weah on January 22 urging him to investigate and prosecute those who committed atrocities during Liberia’s civil wars. FPA – Human Rights Groups Urge Weah