New Liberian President George Weah has appointed the first members of his cabinet, all of them men, largely naming party allies but picking a foreign minister close to former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In his inaugural speech, Weah vowed to crack down on entrenched corruption and encourage the private sector. Outgoing president Sirleaf has left her mark, however, with the appointment of former Unity Party senator Gbehzohngar Findley to the key post of foreign minister. Findley began 2017’s presidential campaign supporting Sirleaf’s vice-president, Joseph Boakai, who lost to Weah in December. Sirleaf faced accusations she secretly supported Weah, eventually leading to her expulsion from the Unity Party last month.

Source: The Guardian January 23, 2018 15:45 UTC