By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
MONROVIA – A growing wave of discontent is simmering among the youthful ranks of Liberia’s ruling Unity Party, with grassroots activists accusing party leadership of neglect and betrayal following the 2023 election victory of President Joseph Boakai.
Lasana S. Kanneh, a prominent youth mobilizer and one of many who campaigned vigorously to unseat the former George Weah-led government, has issued a strong public statement decrying what he describes as a “cold shoulder” from the Unity Party leadership.
“We poured our sweat, tears, and dreams into this campaign,” Kanneh said in a powerful reflection titled “The Unity Party We Once Knew: A Betrayal of Its Youthful Vanguard.” “Yet today, we are met with indifference, broken promises, and silence.”
During the 2023 elections, young people across Liberia were instrumental in galvanizing public support for the Unity Party.
Many worked as volunteer organizers, campaign foot soldiers, and civic educators in the face of intimidation and hardship. According to Kanneh, the expectation was not one of entitlement, but of inclusion and opportunity—expectations he says have been unmet.
“Calls go unanswered. Messages are ignored. The same leaders who rallied against marginalization now practice it themselves,” he wrote. “It is painful to see former adversaries embraced while loyal comrades are sidelined.”
Youth leaders are expressing frustration that months after the transition into power, many of them remain unemployed and feel alienated from the decision-making process.
Some say they’ve been left to face public ridicule for backing a party that has yet to honor their contributions.
The Unity Party has not issued a formal response to the growing criticisms, but internal sources say the administration is still in the process of consolidating power and addressing long-standing governance issues.
Kanneh’s message is not just a critique—it is also a warning.
“Our restraint should not be mistaken for weakness,” he wrote. “The youth of this nation are not small fry to be dismissed; we are the heartbeat of its future.”
As the Unity Party settles into governance, the voices of its youthful base are growing louder. Whether party leaders will respond with action remains to be seen.
