MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has strongly rebuked former U.S. President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk for their portrayal of Liberia’s relationship with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In a statement issued on March 5, 2025, Konneh expressed disappointment over the narrative pushed by Trump and Musk, which he feels paints a misleading and damaging picture of Liberia’s governance and reliance on foreign aid.
Konneh specifically took issue with Trump’s Tuesday, March 4, 2025, address to Congress, during which he highlighted the $1.5 million USAID spent on election monitoring in Liberia. While acknowledging the significant contribution of foreign aid, Konneh believes that Trump’s comments exaggerate the scale of U.S. financial support to Liberia. The senator emphasized that USAID funds do not directly flow through Liberia’s national budget, as many might believe. Instead, these funds are often funneled through U.S.-based companies that implement projects in Liberia, thus bypassing local governance and limiting the direct impact on Liberians.
Konneh further explained that, during his tenure as Minister of Finance and Planning, his team made concerted efforts to push for a more integrated and locally driven approach to foreign aid. Liberia, according to Konneh, has long sought to reduce its dependency on foreign contractors and build the capacity of local institutions to manage and implement aid projects. However, he noted, U.S. regulations often stymie these efforts, forcing Liberia to rely on American firms, despite the country’s desire to take charge of its own development.
Despite these setbacks, Konneh pointed to a successful negotiation with U.S. officials, which resulted in a $500,000 reimbursement for health sector spending, a sum that was audited and cleared of corruption. This, Konneh believes, demonstrates Liberia’s potential to manage foreign aid effectively when given the opportunity. However, he noted that Trump’s rhetoric obscures this reality, focusing only on the alleged corruption within USAID without acknowledging Liberia’s efforts to improve the management of foreign funds.
Konneh rejected the idea that Liberia is overly dependent on U.S. aid, noting that the country’s aid allocation is relatively small compared to other nations in Africa. For instance, Liberia received $159.8 million in aid in 2023, ranking 51st among U.S. aid recipients. By contrast, nations like Ethiopia, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have worse governance and human rights records, received far more substantial assistance. Konneh stressed that Liberia’s allocation, while important, is minor compared to the levels of support given to countries with far more pressing issues.
Furthermore, Konneh pointed to the global perception of Liberia as a nation struggling with corruption, even though the country’s corruption index was better than that of other African countries receiving more significant aid. According to Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, Liberia performed better than nations such as Uganda, Mozambique, and South Sudan, which continue to grapple with political instability, human rights violations, and corruption at higher levels. Konneh suggested that Liberia’s efforts to curb corruption should be recognized, not overshadowed by the negative narratives surrounding its foreign aid.
In his statement, Konneh expressed frustration at the portrayal of Liberia by Trump and Musk, accusing them of turning Liberia into a scapegoat for alleged U.S. foreign aid mismanagement. He argued that such portrayals not only tarnish the country’s reputation but also ignore the nuanced reality of Liberia’s developmental challenges. Konneh stressed that while Liberia faces significant hurdles, it does not deserve to be labeled as a failed state, especially when its governance and human rights performance compares favorably to that of other aid-dependent nations.
The senator also took aim at the broader geopolitical implications of Trump and Musk’s statements, suggesting that their criticism of USAID’s operations in Liberia is part of a larger agenda to dismantle the agency altogether. While Konneh agreed that USAID’s operations should be transparent and free from corruption, he believed that focusing solely on Liberia’s relatively small share of U.S. aid was misguided and damaging to the country’s international standing. He urged Trump and Musk to broaden their focus to include countries with worse governance issues that receive much larger sums of foreign aid.
Konneh’s comments were also directed at the Liberian government, urging it to take a more active role in engaging with the U.S. Embassy to ensure that Liberia’s aid needs are better understood and addressed. He called for a balanced and constructive dialogue with the U.S., which he argued should be rooted in mutual respect and a shared understanding of Liberia’s development priorities. The senator emphasized that Liberia should not be treated as a pariah in the international community, especially when its efforts to combat corruption and promote democratic governance are making strides.
In conclusion, Konneh urged the Liberian government to stand firm in its commitment to protecting the country’s sovereignty and dignity on the global stage. He stated that while Liberia is an imperfect nation still grappling with the legacies of its past, it deserves to be treated with respect by its “traditional allies.” Konneh called for a more strategic approach to foreign aid, one that empowers Liberia to take control of its development and reduces its reliance on foreign actors. He stressed that this, in turn, would help counter the damaging narratives perpetuated by Trump, Musk, and others who seek to undermine Liberia’s progress.
