The U.S. Government has sanctioned Monrovia Mayor and Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Secretary General Jefferson Koijee for serious human rights abuse and corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Saturday, 9 December 2023 that it had designated Mr. Koijee under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, otherwise known as GloMag.
OFAC said GloMag is in line with the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption, a core U.S. national security interest.
The U.S. had earlier sanctioned Margibi County Senator-elect Nathaniel McGill, River Cess County Senator-elect Bill Twehway, and former Solicitor General Cllr. Saymah Syrenius Cephus.
Three senior officials from the Executive were sanctioned along with Nimba Senator Prince Y. Johnson and Grand Cape Mount Senator Varney G. Sherman.
Koijee becomes the sixth official in President George Manneh Weah's regime to be placed under U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. Government said Koijee has a reputation for stoking violence and has a powerful grip on Monrovia's youth.
It disclosed that Koijee controls paramilitary-style organizations associated with the CDC which allegedly recruits former combatants and recently released prisoners.
OFAC said it has reason to believe that Koijee has instructed these organizations to violently disrupt demonstrations conducted by government critics or political opposition.
''Today, OFAC designated Jefferson Koijee (Koijee), who is the mayor of Monrovia, Liberia and is a senior leader in the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) political party,'' the U.S. said.
It noted that Koijee and his supporters have been involved in violence in connection with: an opposition rally in July 2022, students attending a memorial service for former Liberian president Amos Sawyer in March 2022, and an anti-rape protest in August 2020.
The U.S. also cited a student graduation ceremony in December 2019, and an opposition rally in November 2018 in which Koijee and his supporters have carried out violence.
The OFAC continued that Koijee has also engaged in corrupt acts, including bribery and misappropriation of state assets for use by private political movements and pressuring anti-corruption investigators to halt corruption investigations.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
It indicated that Koijee is being designated for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in serious human rights abuse.
OFAC said Koijee is being designated for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets.
It accused Koijee if being complicit or responsible for the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery pursuant to E.O. 13818.
The U.S. has accused Koijee of inciting violence while maintaining control over paramilitary-style organizations associated with the CDC.
The U.S. said these groups under Koijee's control are said to be actively recruiting former combatants and released prisoners.
It detailed that there is credible information suggesting that Koijee instructed them to violently disrupt government critics' demonstrations and political opposition activities.
The Treasury's move is not just a punitive measure; it reflects a commitment to addressing these issues and commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The press release emphasized the importance of upholding fundamental human rights principles on a global scale, signalling a broader dedication to promoting justice and accountability.
