Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberian presidential candidate George Weah on Friday denied contact with ex-leader Charles Taylor as controversy erupted over the former warlord’s alleged behind-the-scenes role in the country’s politics. After stepping off a helicopter on his return to the capital, Monrovia, from a nationwide tour ahead of elections …
Read More »With Sirleaf, Liberia’s glass ceiling cracked but failed to shatter
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia’s female politicians profess near-universal respect for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as she steps down after 12 years as president — but many also say the glass ceiling that Africa’s first female leader cracked remains firmly in place. Sirleaf, 78, will not run in October 10’s presidential …
Read More »Ex-warlord, footballer confirmed as Liberia presidential candidates
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Twenty candidates will contest presidential elections in Liberia in October, among them a former warlord, a footballer and a fashion model, as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf steps down after two terms, the electoral commission said Monday. There is no obvious frontrunner to replace the Nobel Prize-winning …
Read More »Netanyahu woos West African leaders at Liberia summit
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday joined West African leaders at a summit in Liberia, where they hailed peacekeeping efforts in the region but warned about threats to stability. Netanyahu, who had visited east Africa in July 2016, vowed that they had “no better …
Read More »Tycoon, striker or banker: Liberia seeks a new president
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | A football superstar, a former warlord and a soft drinks millionaire have thrown their hats into the ring for the post of Liberian president as Africa’s first elected female leader prepares to step down. A dizzying array of candidates have lined up for the October …
Read More »More die as mysterious illness spreads to Liberia capital
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | More people have died following the outbreak of a mysterious illness that began in southeastern Liberia but has spread to the capital, with 12 unexplained deaths so far, health authorities told AFP Tuesday. Liberia’s health ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) both confirmed the …
Read More »Ebola ruled out as 11 die mysteriously in Liberia
Liberia tests mystery illness after 11 unexplained deaths Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia said Friday that samples from people struck down by a mystery illness are being tested abroad after 11 unexplained deaths, though Ebola has been ruled out. The unidentified illness has affected 19 people in Greenville, southeastern …
Read More »Huge cyber attack disrupts internet in Liberia
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | A massive cyber attack targeting Liberia’s single broadband link has taken the country’s internet intermittently offline for the last week, web security experts said Friday. The characteristics of the attack point to the same type of cyber weapon that crippled several major websites based in …
Read More »West Africa marks end of deadly Ebola outbreak finally
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia said Thursday it was free of Ebola, meaning there are now no known cases in west Africa of the tropical virus that has left more than 11,300 people dead in the region since late 2013. Liberia was the country worst hit with more than …
Read More »As Obama saves Liberia from Ebola
By Andrew M. Mwenda An inside look at why the US has deployed its military to fight Ebola and Western media coverage of this “rescue mission” Over the last month, efforts to fight Ebola in West Africa, especially Liberia, have dominated the news on all international cable and satellite television. …
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