Acting Foreign Minister, Mr. B. Elias Shoniyin is urging the African Union (AU) Commission to reconsider its decision to relocate its Liaison Office from Monrovia to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

“We think the timing of this decision raises some concern for us because we think the symbolic presence of the African Union Liaison Office in Liberia gives hope not only Liberians but international partners, in light of the UN Mission’s drawdown and security transition to Liberians,” he said.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, Acting Foreign Minister Shoniyin made these comments when an AU Commission delegation paid him a courtesy call at his Foreign Ministry office on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. The Head of Mission at the African Union Liaison Office in Liberia, Mr. Prosper N.N. Addo, accompanied a two-member AU Commission delegation, Mr. Baizebbe Na Pahimi and Mr. Bright Mando, to meet with the Acting Foreign Minister.

Mr. Shoniyin stressed that ordinarily, Liberia would have had no objection moving the office to a sisterly country; but considering that an extremely important transition in Liberia is in progress, the country will require all of the support needed to make smooth and seamless transition possible.

He said Liberia needs the African Union’s presence here now more than any other time especially as UNMIL transfers security to its Liberian counterparts and as this transition is a big one and plans are afoot to make every effort to guide this process closely. It was important that they remain for now.

The Acting Foreign Minister reminded his guests that Liberia does not want to give the impression to the world that it wants to continue to “be pampered”, as it will create an expression of our inability to take on our own responsibility as a country. “We can receive all the international support, all of the international goodwill; but ultimately, the responsibility for our country remains ours,” he emphasized, adding that the international community can only come to buttress what we’re doing.

Earlier, the Head of Mission at the African Union Liaison Office in Liberia, Mr. Prosper N.N. Addo, said their visit was a courtesy call and to give notification to the Liberian Government of the African Union Commission’s decision to relocate its Liaison Office from Monrovia to Abidjan.

He stated the decision is necessitated by the fact that donors supporting the AU Commission have complained about finances which affected their overall contribution to the Commission. As such the need has arisen for the adoption of austerity measures at the AU Commission.

Mr. Addo pointed out that the Commission made the decision that it will not close the office in Liberia since there’s a lot to be done here; but will give responsibility to the office in Côte d’Ivoire to remain engaged with Liberia until after the presidential and legislative elections in 2017.

“Should that happen, we will only be a non-resident mission where there will be visits from Côte d’Ivoire to assess the situation and update to the Commission as we do for Sierra Leone which is covered by the Liberia office,” he said.

Acting Foreign Minister Shoniyin, earlier said the matter does not only have to do with representation, but is also symbolism.

He recognized and praised the significant role the AU has played in Liberia’s recovery process, but also in the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease in the three countries most affected by the disease. “If we choose to enumerate all of the support that the AU has given Liberia in the past years, we will go on and on and on,” he said.

Acting Minister Shoniyin assured that Liberia will transmit its opinion to the AU Commission for consideration.