Published: June 29, 2026
MONROVIA – Former Ambassador-at-Large for Special Duties Sheik Al-Moustapha Kouyateh has broken his silence weeks after President Joseph Nyuma Boakai relieved him of his duties, citing a House of Representatives vote of no confidence and public statements the former envoy made about the legislature.
In a June 8 communication from the Executive Mansion, Boakai told Kouyateh the dismissal stemmed from public statements attributed to him concerning the House of Representatives, along with subsequent communications from that body expressing a vote of no confidence in his continued service.
Boakai said Liberia’s development agenda relies on constructive engagement, mutual respect and effective collaboration among the three coordinate branches of government, stressing that the ARREST Agenda requires good working relationships among national institutions.
The House passed the vote of no confidence on June 4 over what members described as corruption allegations made without evidence, which they said put the integrity of the lower house and the legislature at stake.
In a Facebook post over the weekend, the former envoy defended the statements that led to his dismissal and pushed back against calls for him to stay quiet after criticizing the legislature.
“When I began to speak, they frowned at me. When I asked why they frowned, they said, ‘You cannot be part of a government and speak for the people.’ Then I asked, ‘Can there be a government without the people?’ No one responded,” he wrote.
“I am told that we are here for the truth. How can truth be told in the midst of silence? As long as I breathe, I will not submit my voice to silence,” Kouyateh declared.
The former envoy said his stance should not be mistaken for disloyalty to the administration.
“Do not mistake my upright stance for opposition to the government,” he said, adding that his alliance with the UP Alliance is irrevocable until 2029.
“I will not join or support any other political party, but I will remain loyal to the Flag of Liberia and to the Republic for which it stands for the rest of my life,” he declared.
Kouyateh used the moment to criticize what he called a focus on reelection over delivery.
“We cannot lead if we are more focused on reelection than on delivering results. Liberia cannot remain bleeding, with unemployment, periodic crises, illicit drug usage, division, concessions without benefits to the people, injustices, and systemic corruption, while everyone talks only about the next election,” he asserted, maintaining that any leader who seeks praise alone will surely be deceived and betrayed.
He further questioned current leaders over the legacy they would leave for future generations.
“What are you planning for the next generation, and what can you show for the present?” he asked.
Kouyateh is the first government appointee under the Boakai administration to be dismissed over a vote of no confidence passed by the 55th Legislature.
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