Author: Chester Smith

Lamenting that the future is not waiting Liberia: Across Liberia today, a familiar narrative echoes in conversations among young people: there are no jobs, no opportunities, no pathways forward. It is a reality rooted in truth, but one that risks becoming a permanent mindset if left unchallenged. At the 16th Global Leadership Summit, Amb. B. Elias Shoniyin confronted this narrative head-on—not by dismissing the challenges, but by reframing the response. His message was both bold and unsettling: Liberia’s future will not be transformed by better conditions alone, but by better-prepared citizens. In a room filled with students and aspiring leaders,…

IPNEWS: The Rev. Canon Michael Tuan Sie was elected as a Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Liberia on March 13, 2026. His election took place during the church’s 90th Convention held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Bolahun, Lofa County. Rev. Sie was chosen as one of two new Suffragan Bishops for two additional dioceses in Liberia, specifically designated for the South Eastern (SE) Region. His appointment is currently pending formal confirmation by the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Province of West Africa. The Rev. Canon Wilmot Merchant was also elected as a Suffragan Bishop during the same convention. Background of Michael…

IPNEWS: Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice has dismissed an indictment against former National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) CEO Rustolyn Suacoco Dennis and co-defendant Richman Jallah, citing the prosecution’s failure to commence trial within the statutory period mandated by Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law. In a ruling delivered on March 17, 2026, Assigned Circuit Judge Ousman F. Feika held that the defendants’ constitutional rights had been violated due to the state’s prolonged delay in advancing the case after the indictment was returned and served. According to the ruling, the defendants filed an eight-count motion to dismiss on February…

‎‎IPNEWS: The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Guinea, General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura has ordered the withdrawal of Guinean troops from the Liberia and Sierra Leone borders, beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2026.‎ ‎In an official statement issued on March 16, in Conakry, from the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff of the Armed Forces informed national and international public opinion that the decision follows the Summit of Heads of State of the Mano River Union held in Conakry on Monday, March 16, 2026.‎ ‎According to the statement, member states agreed to end border disputes through diplomatic channels and…

—As calls Echoe for axing IPNEWS: Francis Sakila Nyumalin, the Liberian Minister of Internal Affairs and Local Government-designate, has become central to a major diplomatic and security dispute involving mining and construction activities by BK Enterprise in Lofa County. On March 2, 2026, armed Guinean soldiers crossed into the Sorlumba border area in Foya District, Lofa County. They confronted workers from BK Enterprise, a firm contracted for road construction, and confiscated heavy machinery including bulldozers and sand-dredging equipment. Guinean authorities alleged that BK Enterprise was illegally extracting sand and potentially minerals like gold or diamonds from the Makona River, which they claim is Guinean…

IPNEWS: Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone signed a joint communiqué following a high-level tripartite summit in Conakry, Guinea, on Monday, March 16, 2026, following the escalating border tensions, specifically shooting incident on March 11, 2026, and reports of Guinean military incursions in the Foya-Sorlumba area of Lofa County, Liberia. The Communiqué calls for Border De-escalation. The leaders committed to a peaceful diplomatic resolution of territorial disputes and the reinforcement of mechanisms for stable border management. The summit emphasized the role of the Mano River Union (MRU) and ECOWAS in maintaining regional peace and unity. All parties agreed to cease inflammatory actions…

Liberia: The Liberia National Police (LNP) has conducted an autopsy on the remains of Ntombi Toni Khumalo Jackson, the late wife of suspect Samuel Jackson, as part of the ongoing investigation surrounding her death. The procedure was carried out amid concerns and objections raised by the legal team representing Samuel Jackson. In a formal communication dated March 16, 2026, the defense team, headed by prominent Liberian lawyer Sayma Cyrenius Cephus, requested a delay of the autopsy, citing several issues they believed warranted further consideration before the examination proceeded. According to the letter, the defense argued that the notice provided for…

IPNEWS: During a high-stakes contempt hearing today, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to Liberia’s essential workers, declaring that the ongoing budget standoff is fundamentally about the “livelihoods and dignity” of those serving on the frontlines of health and education. The hearing, held on March 12, 2026, saw Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto, and CSA Director-General Josiah Joekai appear before the plenary to answer for their previous failure to attend a summoned session regarding the regularization of volunteer workers. Championing the “Forgotten” Workforce Senator Dillon, a vocal critic of the administration’s handling of…

The Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), over the weekend held a consultative meeting with Cllr. Natu Oswald Tweh, Sr. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at the Ministry of Justice. In a statement issued in Monrovia, LCC Secretary General Rev. Dr. Christopher Wleh Toe, I., stated that the meeting primarily focused on the security situation in Lofa County, focusing on the government’s interpretation of the ongoing crisis at the border point and exploring how the Church (LCC) and the broader faith community could contribute to a peaceful resolution. “Throughout the discussions,…

–Warns Against Spread of Rumors and Falase claims IPNEWS: The office of former Liberian President George Manneh Weah has dismissed as “completely false and misleading” reports circulating on social media claiming that he contacted Emmanuel Macron, President of France, to seek intervention in the ongoing border dispute between Liberia and Guinea. In a statement issued by his office, Chief of Staff Eugene Lenn Nagbe clarified that the former president has not made any such contact with the French leader regarding the matter. The statement noted that while the former Liberian leader remains deeply concerned about the situation along the Liberia–Guinea…