Remarks
Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
African Methodist Episcopal University
Monrovia, Liberia
May 16, 2016
As prepared
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for having me here today. I
am thrilled to be back in Liberia where my international journey began
as a graduate student decades ago. And I’m thrilled to be back in the
country where I had the honor of serving you as U.S. Ambassador from
2008-2012.
Since 2012, I’ve only been back to Liberia for one day, and I’ve
really missed the country and its wonderful people. This time I’ve got
four days only, and I’m packing the schedule with as many events as I
can fit in! This for me is the most important event.
I’d like to offer my thoughts on where Liberia has come from, the
challenges that it still faces, and how all of us can do our part to
secure a bright future for Liberia and its people.
First of all, let me congratulate all Liberians on the tremendous
progress your country has made in recent years. To quote your president,
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s people have moved from tragedy to
triumph. The 15 year civil war that ended in 2003 devastated the country
in every aspect imaginable. GDP fell by 90 percent.
But 13 years later, Liberia has become a champion of democracy and
peace, and has taken some important first steps in the difficult task of
rebuilding its economy and strengthening its educational and health
care delivery systems even in the face of an unprecedented challenge
like the Ebola epidemic. You have shown your commitment to foster an
open society by joining the Open Government Partnership, and the
Partnership on Illicit Finance, and you have put in place laws and
mechanisms to improve transparency, accountability, and fight
corruption.
It is also notable that during the past 13 years of peace, Liberia
has held three free and fair nation-wide elections; two presidential and
one Senate mid-term.
Liberians showed their tremendous resilience and faith in the midst of and the aftermath of the Ebola crisis.
Now, the task ahead is to make sure Liberia stays on this positive
trajectory. Liberia has moved up the democracy ladder and it is moving
toward a more prosperous future.
Despite this impressive progress, Liberia continues to face daunting
challenges, and real risks of backsliding remain – we cannot let that
happen.
The Ebola epidemic exposed the fragility of Liberia’s heath sector and economy.
Over 50% of Liberia’s population is under 18. This presents great
opportunities, but significant challenges as well. To accommodate this
population bulge, Liberia must create jobs, it must develop
infrastructure, it must diversify its economy, and improve its education
system. More importantly, it must remain stable.
All of these things are going to be a challenge to Liberians given
depressed economic conditions and in particular the global slump in
commodity prices, which impacts Liberia’s principal exports and
contributes to low economic growth.
While the government can do very little to affect commodity prices,
much more can be done to improve the country’s investment climate.
According to the World Bank 2016 Ease of Doing Business indicators,
Liberia was ranked 179 out of 189 countries surveyed. As you yourselves
undoubtedly feel, this is not good enough, and as a result, Liberia is
being left behind by some of its more dynamic regional neighbors such as
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
One of the major challenges to the private sector in Liberia and Africa writ large is corruption.
We must fight corruption if we want to see the country progress. As
President Obama said last year in Ethiopia, “Nothing will unlock
Africa’s economic potential more than ending the cancer of corruption.”
Corruption robs countries of vital resources needed to move forward on
development. Liberia cannot afford to lose these resources, so all of us
must commit to working together to stop corruption at all levels and
stop people from using their political connections to fill their bank
accounts and build their mansions.
Liberia must also stay focused on maintaining peace, enforcing the
rule of law, and providing security – now, more than ever, as Liberia
prepares for the challenge of taking on sole responsibility and the
reins for the security of its people. I am confident that Liberia is
ready for this challenge, but it will require resolve, ingenuity, and
agility in the face of challenges – the same attributes that have
brought Liberia so far from its darkest days.
Adding to the challenges facing Liberia, West Africa, and Africa — a
persistent terrorist threat. I have just come from Nigeria where we
discussed with your neighbors and partners how to tackle Boko Haram,
which is having a devastating impact on Africa’s most populous country.
We have seen terrorists strike not just Nigeria, but Mali, Burkina Faso,
and Côte d’Ivoire – targeting Africans and tourists and threatening to
undermine many of the gains the region has made over the past years.
People, let me tell you, Liberia is not exempt from the threat.
Capacity building and commitment by Liberia’s security services must be a priority.
These are just some of the current challenges, and they are
challenges that Liberia’s current and next administration must be
prepared to address as well.
But in the face of numerous obstacles, Liberians have remained
incredibly resilient, and that’s why I know that, ultimately, Liberia
will succeed.
As Liberia moves forward, the United States will continue to be a
dedicated partner. The U.S.-Liberia relationship dates back nearly 200
years. Since 2004, the United States has contributed over $1 billion in
foreign assistance to this country. We are fully invested in Liberia’s
promise, and like you, we want to see that promise realized.
Liberia has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world.
In Monrovia, only 6.7% of the population has access to electricity. By
2030, Liberia aims to connect 70% of Monrovia to the electricity grid
and provide access to 35% of the rest of the country. The United States,
through Power Africa, is committed to continuing to support Liberia’s
efforts to meet these goals.
President Obama’s Power Africa initiative is making a major impact by
supporting energy sector development through the expansion of the grid
in Monrovia and the construction of small-scale, renewable pilot
projects. Power Africa is also building government capacity and
providing training and advisory support to key energy sector
institutions.
We’re also making progress in implementing the $257 million Liberia
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact. The MCC Compact aims to
improve road infrastructure as well as support the expansion of access
to reliable and affordable electricity. To achieve those goals, the
compact includes funding for the rehabilitation of the Mount Coffee
Hydroelectric Plant, development of a training center for technicians in
the electricity sector, and support for the creation of an independent
energy sector regulator. This is a big deal.
We continue to help Liberia recover from the devastating Ebola
outbreak. Ebola killed thousands, drained vitally-needed resources,
slowed economic growth, and delayed key development projects. The United
States led a worldwide response that has helped Liberia bring Ebola
under control.
And our commitment endures; we are working with Liberia to build
resilient health systems, continuing research on Ebola and other
emerging diseases, and beginning programming through our Global Health
Security Agenda to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease
threats.
Through our commitment to Liberia’s peace and security, we have
supported the development of the Armed Forces of Liberia. As we enter
into a new phase of collaboration with the AFL, I want to congratulate
the officers and soldiers who have truly developed into a professional
force for good. These dedicated men and women have proven capable of
safeguarding Liberian sovereignty.
President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative has been a
tremendous success. Through YALI, we have brought 31 Liberians to the
United States over the past two years for six weeks of academic and
leadership training. This year, we are doubling the size of the program
Africa-wide and will have 25 YALI Fellows from Liberia.
These YALI Fellows are simply outstanding. I meet with them whenever I
visit Africa, and later today I’m excited to meet Liberia’s 2016
Fellows. YALI Fellows are already making major contributions to Liberia.
Recently, YALI alumni from Liberia founded their own NGO, the Mandela
Washington Fellowship Liberia. They are implementing a program called
iMentor, which engages and mentors young community leaders in four
counties through a train-the-trainers program on leadership and
community activism. Just this past weekend, the group conducted an
iMentor program in Brewerville for 400 local youth.
These are just some of the examples of the benefits that the strong
U.S.-Liberia partnership is providing to Liberia. They demonstrate the
rapid progress Liberia is making. But ultimately, Liberia needs to be in
the driver’s seat for its ongoing development.
The same goes for democracy. Only Liberians can determine the course
of Liberia’s democracy and the kind of democracy you want. And a strong,
inclusive democracy is absolutely essential to secure the progress
Liberia has made.
This brings me to upcoming elections.
For the U.S., democracy and governance are a key priority. There are
more than a dozen elections on the continent in 2017. Liberia’s 2017
elections are an opportunity for it to create its own destiny and a
strong democracy. Showing great respect for the constitution and the
people of Liberia, President Sirleaf is stepping down after two terms in
office. This is a big deal given what we have seen elsewhere. She is
committed to a peaceful transfer of power in accordance with the law,
and I applaud her for that crucial decision.
That decision gives you, the people and youth of Liberia, an historic
opportunity. You will really be the first generation to see the
peaceful transition of power from one living, sitting president, to
another, both elected by the people. When this happens, Liberia will be
an example of a true democracy in Africa, and for you to elect a leader
for other countries on the continent to emulate.
The elections are well over a year away and it is far too early to
turn away from the business of governing. It is not, however, too soon
for you to think about what shape you want your country’s future to
take. The upcoming elections, rather than being a challenge, are an
opportunity for you to demand that presidential candidates put forward a
vision of unity, peace, and democracy and elect a leader who will carry
Liberia towards that future.
For many of you young people here today, this will be your first
opportunity to vote for president. Look carefully at the candidates,
their platforms, their records. Ask them what their vision is for
Liberia. Ask thoughtful questions and demand responses. This, men and
women, and I stress women, is your opportunity to help shape the future
of the country.
You must get away from personality politics. Stress issues. Thus, politicians must stand on platforms and not personalities.
Once the political season begins to heat up, politicians must be
conscious in their actions and their words that they don’t contribute to
violence. I say to you, do not allow yourselves to be used as political
pawns. Politicians must actively work to promote national unity and
demand a peaceful process even while competing to earn votes. They need
to think about others, and not just about themselves. And they must
think carefully about their policies. Those who would take the country
backward should rethink their strategy. Liberia’s elections will be on
the world stage.
On election day, get out and vote! You will reaffirm your commitment
to peaceful change through democratic processes, rather than riots and
taking to the streets. Candidates, likewise, will need to accept the
will of the people as expressed through the ballot box.
If your candidate does not win, do not immediately assume fraud or
rigged elections. Liberia has very good procedures in place to handle
electoral disputes.
Recognizing that significant challenges remain with respect to the
organization of the elections, we are still confident that the National
Elections Commission will run free, fair, and transparent elections,
just as they have done in the past. We are also certain that the
Liberian security agencies will be able to secure the polling stations
and ballots and work alongside the NEC to ensure these elections are a
success.
Let me stress, violence must be avoided at all cost. No one should
die in an effort to express their political beliefs. Politicians should
be clear on that.
And finally, as important as the 2017 elections will be, it bears
repeating that they are still more than a year away, and Liberians can’t
afford to focus solely on elections. Elections are just one milestone
in a democracy. Democracy is a constant process requiring consistent,
continued efforts to move forward.
When I think about Liberia’s future, I think first of all the
hard-working, resilient, intelligent, and kind Liberians I got to know
during my years here of working in this country. Because of you, I have
tremendous confidence in Liberia’s future. I know that Liberia will
continue to grow into its role as a leader in Africa.
To the students here today, and to all Liberians, I urge you to
listen to the words of your president, who said at a Harvard University
graduation ceremony, “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big
enough.” Dream big, and believe in yourselves and your country.
We know that as Liberians, you can take charge of your fate. We saw
this in your response to Ebola. And the United States stands with the
people and the government of Liberia as you chart your path toward a
peaceful and prosperous future and become an example of democracy and
prosperity for the rest of Africa to follow.
Thank you so much.
