Monrovia — The newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner, signaling a firm stance reminiscent of his predecessor, Michael McCarthy, conveyed to Congress that the current Liberian government has been marred by corruption and a disturbing disregard for the rule of law.
During his confirmation hearing last Thursday, Toner candidly expressed to the U.S. Congress that the substantial support provided by the U.S. government for Liberia's development is rapidly diminishing under the leadership of President Weah.
Toner stated, "The United States is the largest bilateral donor to Liberia, with more than $5 billion in bilateral assistance since 2003. That assistance has paid concrete dividends in the economic, education, security, and public health sectors, but that progress has also been heavily eroded by growing lawlessness and corruption within the present administration. If confirmed, I will lead our embassy's efforts to hold corrupt government officials accountable and keep Liberia on a path to self-reliance, so that ordinary Liberians see the benefits of private-sector growth and accountable government, and the country remains the United States' most steadfast partner in Africa."
Like former Ambassador McCarthy, Toner appears to be fervent in dedicating his energy and concentration to helping root out corruption and disregard for the rule of law in Liberia.
He also expressed his commitment to holding President Weah and opposition leaders accountable for their commitment to delivering a free, fair, and transparent election.
Toner's position on corruption, accountability, and the rule of law seems to follow the pattern established by Ambassador McCarthy, where numerous officials from the Weah-led government faced sanctions due to their alleged engagement in corrupt practices and pay-to-play schemes and at the same time openly criticized the regime.
"If confirmed, I look forward to building on the outstanding work the previous Ambassador and his excellent team have done to assist with the many challenges facing Liberia. I am optimistic that the United States can work with its partners in the Liberian government and people to help strengthen their democracy and secure a brighter, more prosperous future for the next generation," Toner stated.
At his own confirmation hearing in 2020, Ambassador McCarthy flagged the issue of corruption in Liberia and pledged to dedicate his tenure to fighting corruption and ensuring that the American people's investment in Liberia was protected.
McCarthy, who ended his tenure here in July this year, was robust in his fight against corruption and bad governance. Under this regime, the then Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill, the then Solicitor General, Cllr. Syrennius Cephas, former Manager of the National Port Authority Bill Twehway, and Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson were sanctioned by the United States Department of Treasury for corruption under the Global Magnitsky Act.
Former Ambassador McCarthy is known in Liberia for not mincing his words in his criticism of the Weah-led government.
In April this year, Mr. McCarthy accused lawmakers of "buttering their own bread" and "feathering their own nests" while underfunding hospitals and service centers, leaving rural citizens "destitute."
The former ambassador, who had returned from a tour of Liberia's rural areas, expressed that he "was startled and deeply troubled to encounter multiple county hospitals that received not one penny of what they were promised in the 2022 budget."
He also lambasted representatives, senators, and ministers for receiving annual duty-free imports and for paying lower taxes than average citizens. "Should the US Congress ask how the elite in Monrovia are treating destitute citizens in the leeward counties, my honest response would have to be, 'those citizens are treated with a neglect that borders on contempt,"' McCarthy said.
In reaction to his allegations, the President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Senator Albert T. Chie, accused McCarthy of being supportive of the opposition bloc by creating an unlevel playing field to the advantage of the opposition ahead of the October elections.
Sen. Chie argued that the Ambassador could have ascertained facts about the monies that lawmakers receive by visiting the projects being carried out by all lawmakers throughout the country.
"What do we do with the money we get? We build clinics, we buy drugs, we build schools, we build guest houses, etc., that's what legislators all over the country do with their money," he said.
The Grand Kru Senator also argued that the Ambassador's statement was a strategy employed by him to strengthen the opposition in this election year.
"He's fond of spreading falsehood because this is an election year so that the opposition would be strengthened. He's lying because of his support for a field that shouldn't be level because this is a political year. How can you be spreading falsehood on the government? This is why Washington has recalled him because he's interfering with the politics of our country. He's a foreigner, and he must stick to his position," Sen. Chie said.
Who is Mark Toner?
Mark Toner, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as the Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy, Paris, France. Previously, Mr. Toner was a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of State, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Washington, D.C., and, prior to that, was a Senior Faculty Advisor at the National Defense University. Earlier, Mr. Toner held positions as the State Department's Deputy Spokesperson (and Acting Spokesperson), and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department's Bureau of European Affairs. With three decades of experience as a diplomat, Mr. Toner's extensive background in public diplomacy and engagement, coupled with his demonstrated ability to skillfully present and explain complicated policy issues makes him a well-qualified candidate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia.
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Mr. Toner's earlier postings include assignments as Deputy Spokesperson in the State Department's Bureau of Public Affairs; Director of Press Operations in the Bureau of Public Affairs, and as Director of Press and Public Affairs in the Bureau of European Affairs. He also served as Spokesperson at the U.S. Mission to NATO, Brussels, Belgium, and as a Senior Watch Officer in the Department of State's Emergency Operations Center. Among his other assignments, Mr. Toner worked as a press officer in the European Affairs Bureau and as a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia.
Mr. Toner earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and his master's degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C. He is the recipient of multiple State Department performance awards and speaks French and Polish.
