- Mark Toner, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, retires early citing “a private alternative”
- Toner additionally denies U.S. information media that the explanation for President Trump’s assembly with President Boakai and 4 African leaders was to stress them to take third nation nationals, together with convicted criminals who’re being deported from the U.S.
- Toner says there will likely be no quick U.S. assist for Liberia’s struggle and financial crimes courts
By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives
Mark Toner, the USA Ambassador to Liberia, is retiring from his position much less a 12 months into what was to be a two-year put up. His announcement to embassy employees on Tuesday, got here as a shock, notably because it got here only a day earlier than Liberia President Joseph Boakai secured a coveted assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump together with the presidents 4 different African international locations.
In an exclusive interview with FrontPage Africa/New Narratives on Thursday, Toner insisted his resolution was pushed by a want to spend extra time along with his household after 33 years within the overseas service and never due to any variations with the Trump administration. A Wall Road Journal article on Thursday claimed that Boakai and the opposite 4 presidents acquired a message simply earlier than the White Home assembly, requesting they take third nation deportees from the U.S. to assist Trump’s marketing campaign promise that he would deport hundreds of thousands of individuals within the U.S. illegally.
“Like members of the army, diplomats additionally spend massive components of their profession away from household,” mentioned Toner, 61, in the course of the interview contained in the U.S. embassy. “I made a private alternative that I needed to return to be with my household and I don’t remorse that in any respect. It has nothing to do with any political alternative. I’m proud to serve any administration.”
Individuals near Toner mentioned he had not signaled any intention to serve lower than the total two years in what was to be his final put up in a profession that included stints as deputy spokesperson and appearing spokesperson for the U.S. State Division in the course of the Obama administration beneath Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, and Rex Tillerson throughout Trump’s first time period.
Consultants have speculated that Liberia’s inclusion in Wednesday’s assembly, together with the presidents of Senegal, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania, got here partly due to the chance Liberia presents America in its financial rivalry with China. Liberia doubtlessly possesses important minerals like lithium and cobalt, seen as important to the U.S. know-how trade. The discoveries are anticipated to generate $3 billion in funding. Liberia and China signed an financial and technical settlement in March.
Toner mentioned “China is a strategic competitor. Completely,” however mentioned the US was “are the companion of alternative for Liberia due to our lengthy historical past, due to our shared historical past and our shared tradition you recognize, cultural ties.”
The information additionally got here simply days after the Boakai administration signed a take care of Ivanhoe Atlantic, a U.S.-based firm that has a mining concession in neighboring Guinea and plans to ship iron ore from Guinea by way of Liberia to a brand new port. The deal, which should be ratified by the Legislature, will enable Ivanhoe to share an current rail line with Luxembourg-based Arcelor Mittal which has strongly opposed plans for the multi-user railway. In 2024, President Boakai established the Nationwide Railway Authority “to supervise and handle Liberia’s Nationwide Rail Belongings,” and guarantee “the environment friendly and equitable use of rail infrastructure by all stakeholders, notably within the mining sector and for the transportation of passengers and items.”
Toner mentioned the take care of Ivanhoe was an indication of the brand new U.S. administration’s change in coverage to focus closely on commerce. The Trump administration has slashed support cash to Liberia. The nation has seen the most important lower to assist in contrast with its economic system of any nation in Africa.
“This can be a U.S. funding. We’re in a position to recover from the end line. I’m celebrating it,” mentioned Toner. “I feel it’s a superb factor. The truth that that they had the chance to shut a serious commerce deal earlier than going to Washington to frankly inform President Trump that ‘we did this, that we’re open for enterprise’ will not be essentially the worst sign to ship. And once more, discuss to anyone concerned in these negotiations. This has been beneath the within the works for a lot of, a few years.”
Toner insisted the White Home assembly was merely a mirrored image of Liberia’s rising clout on the world stage.
“Don’t underestimate it. Don’t attempt to see false narratives out of this assembly,” mentioned Toner. “The White Home reached out to 5 African leaders and the truth that Liberia was included on that checklist speaks, I feel considerably to Liberia’s place each regionally but additionally globally. Let’s not neglect Liberia gained a non-permanent member standing of the UN Safety Council. Liberia is without doubt one of the strongest and most secure democracies within the area. So, you recognize, let’s not beneath attempt to understate Liberia’s significance.”
Trump has made no secret of his want to discover international locations that can take massive variety of third nation residents that he want to deport from the U.S. as a part of his sweeping plan to deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants within the nation illegally. Eight convicted criminals had been deported from the U.S. to South Sudan this week after the deportees’ legal professionals failed of their authorized bids to cease the deportations. Liberia has been named on an inventory of nations that face a journey ban to the U.S. due to its very excessive price of visa overstays.
The Trump administration has mentioned that one of many methods these international locations can keep away from a journey ban is to comply with take the deportees. The Washington Put up, a U.S. media outlet, quoting a leaked memo from the State Division, mentioned diplomats at U.S. missions in Liberia and different international locations had been being requested to work with these international locations to simply accept third nation nationals. The Wall Road Journal, one other U.S. media, claimed that earlier than the assembly, the Trump administration had requested Boakai and the leaders of the 4 different international locations to simply accept undocumented migrants from third nation international locations, a problem that’s been a signature coverage of the Trump administration.
“I simply don’t know that that was introduced up within the within the within the precise assembly,” mentioned Toner. “What I can say extra broadly is that this administration may be very critical about unlawful immigration and so they’re every kind of strategies and dealing with every kind of companions in methods to fight that. And you recognize, that could be a sovereign nation’s proper. And it’s additionally any nation like Liberia’s, proper to both agree or to not agree with, for instance to take the deportees or others again into their soil. How I really feel personally about it isn’t essential.”
William Gyude Moore, a Liberian policymaker and worldwide growth skilled mentioned the problem was “merely a hypothesis, for now,” and that “now we have no foundation to imagine that this will likely be an American request. Nonetheless, it’s price making ready for. An settlement of such would very seemingly require legislative enter, so President Boakai can at all times reply by saying he must seek the advice of the Liberian legislature.”
Moore doesn’t assume “all migrants are criminals or safety dangers. Most of the migrants are merely individuals who got here to this nation by way of irregular means and have lived and labored right here for years” and mentioned “It’s subsequently not a on condition that they pose a safety threat to Liberia. There are additionally studies that greater than 70% haven’t any prison document.”
Toner had unhealthy information for Liberia’s push to determine a struggle and financial crimes courtroom and a nationwide anti-corruption courtroom. The U.S. has been Liberia’s key companion in prosecuting and convicting Liberian struggle criminals for war-related crimes. The earlier administration of U.S. President Joseph Biden, which left workplace in January, had promised to offer funding for the courtroom. However Toner mentioned no funding could be coming from the Trump administration.
“Not proper now,” mentioned Toner. “We’ve supplied appreciable technical help. We’re methods we will proceed to offer that technical help, however no funding now.”
However he urged Liberia to press forward with accountability for previous crimes.
“A struggle and financial crimes courtroom might help in some methods. It may maintain folks accountable,” mentioned Toner. “It doesn’t must be everyone, but it surely has to carry some folks accountable. And by doing that, you ship a sign that there’s an impunity right here, that there’s rule of legislation right here in Liberia.”
“Sooner or later you have to determine whether or not the WEC is a precedence and whether it is, fund it as such. After which from there you can begin actually placing the items collectively.”
On the struggle towards corruption, Toner mentioned “Liberia has all the appropriate mechanisms” in place when it comes to corruption however mentioned the Liberia Anti-Corruption Fee and the Justice Ministry wanted assets to completely function. He urged the federal government to process observe prosecutions.
The U.S. support cuts haven’t completely ended all U.S.-funded packages. Toner disclosed that “some fundamental well being help, that can stay.”
“Our PEPFAR program, our malaria program will stay in place in addition to our Central Medical Retailer not less than by way of the foreseeable future, I feel, till late subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Toner. “And that additionally delivers life-saving medication to clinics up nation. So, what does stay is generally humanitarian targeted.”
Toner’s retirement ends a 40-year involvement with the nation the place he was a peace corps volunteer within the late 80s. He praised the hospitality of Liberians and mentioned he want to return with is household after his retirement.
This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as a part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Mission. Funding was supplied by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say within the story’s content material.
