Misleading! No seat for Liberia government officials at US-Africa Business Summit

By: Laymah Kollie

Image of Liberia’s Presidential Press Secretary, Kula Fofana, alongside a colleague. Source: The Sahara, Facebook

Claim: The Sahara (an online news agency) shared a post on The Costa Show (a Facebook group) claiming that Liberia was disrespected at the International Summit as there were no seats for Liberian Government Officials.

Verdict: Misleading! Vasta Tarlue, a journalist at the Liberia Broadcasting System and delegate on the trip, told DUBAWA that the Liberian delegate was given seats on the occasion. According to Vasta, the Presidential Press Secretary and others sat on the floor to see the proceedings for their live coverage and also for better internet connectivity.

Full Text

The U.S.-Africa Business Summit is an annual event between the African and United States Governments. This year, it brought together more than 1,500 U.S. and African public and private sector executives, including Heads of State, international investors, U.S. and African government officials, and multilateral stakeholders.

The objective is to enable leaders to connect with government and private sector decision-makers over four days to drive U.S.-Africa sustainable business partnerships. This year’s Summit occurred in Dallas, Texas, from May 6-9, 2024. A Liberian delegation led by President Joseph Boakai left the Country on May 3, 2024, to participate in the occasion.

However, on May 9, 2024, The Sahara (an online News Agency) shared a post in The Costa Show (a Facebook group) claiming that Liberia was disrespected at the International Summit.

“Liberia disrespected [at] the International conference under Boakai. No seat for government officials,” the post said.

This is an image of Liberia’s Presidential Press Secretary, Kula Fofana, and Minister Kessely, seated on the floor during the event’s session hours.

The post generated 94 comments and 53 reactions. Some citizens consented to the claim, while others argued that the post was out of context.

Verification

DUBAWA contacted Liberian Journalist Vasta Tarlue, who is among the President’s delegation to the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas.

According to journalist Tarlue, government officials were not denied seats on the occasion.

Vasta told DUBAWA that Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana was covering the occasion live on the Executive Mansion page but had some internet fallback, which led her to proceed to the front of the guests to hang on a colleague hotspot.

Vasta explained that in search of a clearer view, they (journalists) had to sit in front of the crowd to perform their duties.

“You can’t be standing in front of the other guests and media colleagues and so, we came to the front, sat down in front of them on the floor but not blocking their views” Vasta said.

Additionally, the Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana (seated on the floor in the claim) told DUBAWA that they were not denied access to seats at the summit; rather, they sat on the floor to gain clearer sound and view without blocking the audience’s glance.

Conclusion

Based on our findings, Liberian delegates were not denied access to seats at the US-AFRICA Business Summit, as such, the claim is misleading.