Monrovia – Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has departed Liberia at the head of a high-level delegation to represent President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the Republic of Liberia at the inauguration of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, scheduled for March 21, 2025, in Namibia.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former President Sirleaf will also serve as President Boakai’s special envoy to promote Liberia’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The election for the seat is set to take place in June 2025 in New York City.
Madam Sirleaf is accompanied by Liberia’s Ambassador-at-Large, Charles Snetter, and Mme Joyce Mendscole, among other officials. The delegation will witness the inauguration of Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who will make history as Namibia’s first female president and only the second woman elected president in Africa.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, Namibia’s incumbent Vice President and a longtime leader of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), won the November 2024 elections with 57.31% of the vote, surpassing 14 rivals and avoiding a runoff. Despite her victory, SWAPO secured only 51 seats in the National Assembly, its weakest performance since Namibia’s independence in 1990.
Her inauguration on March 21 will coincide with Namibia’s 35th Independence Day. She succeeds interim President Nangolo Mbumba, who assumed office after the passing of former President Hage Geingob in February 2024.
Liberia’s participation in the historic event underscores its continued commitment to strengthening diplomatic ties with Namibia and the broader African continent.
