Africa-Press – Liberia. He claimed that his recent arrest by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) on the Bypass in Monrovia was politically motivated and rooted in nothing more than his affiliation with the former ruling party.
Former President George Manneh Weah’s aide Sekou Kalasco Damaro, has taken aim at President Joseph Boakai, accusing him of gross hypocrisy and insincerity over recent remarks claiming that his administration has not engaged in political persecution or used state security to suppress dissent.
President Boakai, while speaking at a media dinner in Monrovia on Thursday said, “This evening, I stand before you to reaffirm a commitment: Under my leadership, Liberia will have no political prisoners and no press suppression.”
But Damaro, a senior member of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), dismissed the statement as disingenuous and detached from the lived experiences of many Liberians, including himself.
In a strongly worded statement posted on social media Friday, Damaro said, “Such conduct mocks and contradicts the realities of many, including myself. As someone recently targeted by Mr. Boakai’s government for my association with former President George Weah and my role within the CDC, I find these declarations not only misleading but painfully hypocritical.”
He claimed that his recent arrest by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) on the Bypass in Monrovia was politically motivated and rooted in nothing more than his affiliation with the former ruling party.
“I was detained by police on the Bypass solely because of my role as an aide to former President Weah. The subsequent harassment I endured, coupled with the blatant violation of my rights, evoked haunting memories of Liberia’s repressive past,” he said.
Damaro’s claims come amid simmering concerns from opposition figures and human rights advocates who have criticized what they describe as selective justice and intimidation of dissenting voices under the new administration. He challenged the President to acknowledge other victims of what he calls politically motivated harassment, naming fellow CDC partisans who have allegedly faced similar treatment.
Though he did not immediately list names in his statement, Damaro alluded to a growing number of opposition supporters who have reportedly faced arrest, threats, or employment dismissals since the Unity Party-led government assumed power in January.
“To dismiss these injustices is not merely to mock victims like myself,” he wrote, “but a demonstration of callous insensitivity. True democracy cannot coexist with state-sponsored repression. Until this administration confronts its actions and reforms its practices, its promises will remain empty rhetoric,” said Damaro.
The Boakai administration has repeatedly vowed to uphold democratic tenets, including freedom of speech and political inclusion. However, Damaro’s response underscores the mounting friction between the ruling Unity Party and the main opposition bloc.
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