MONROVIA – Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a seasoned diplomat with 18 years working experience with the United Nations in various capacities including representing the Secretary General in South Sudan, academic credibility has now come under attack amid rumors that she is President Joseph Boakai’s preferment for Minister of Foreign Affairs.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
The attack was launched by Martin Kollie, a supporter of the ruling Unity Party who nicknamed himself ‘Rescue Rambo’ during the elections campaign. Kollie, currently residing in Holland, posted to Facebook:
“This is how we want to save the Ministry of Foreign Affairs like we saved LBDI. The credentials of Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti are bogus and fake. She doesn’t even have a first degree. We are in this gov’t to protect public interests and help Pres. JNB”.
His Facebook post generated over a thousand comments expressing diverse views on Kollie’s assertion with many hailing him for checkmating Madam Nyanti’s credentials. Others believe that it was unfair for Madam’s Beysolow’s credentials and clean record at the United Nations to be brought to public disrepute for political gains.
However, Madam Beysolow also in a Facebook post stated:
“I have read the posts and heard the lies and disinformation being spued. When I am given the chance to serve the people of Liberia as I have served other nations, I will be prepared to defend my record and my legitimate and hard earned credentials before the Senate.”
Before lending support to Unity Party to ensure the victory of President Boakai, Beysolow-Nyanti’s was the Standard Bearer of the African Liberation League (ALL) in the just-ended presidential elections where she finished 18th after gathering 3,644 votes for 0.20 percent of the votes. She supported Mr. Boakai’s bid in the run-off election and was appointed to his transitional team. Some party insiders say the former presidential candidate came to the table late and may not be deserving of such a high-profile post. But more importantly, the ministry has a reputation for being highly political with lots of infighting.
Sara Beysolow Nyanti embarked on her United Nations journey in 2003, when she was recruited by UNDP from the Ministry of Health, where she held the position of program director for the National AIDS Control Program in Monrovia. She played a pivotal role in crafting Liberia’s inaugural proposal for the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM). Building on her global engagement, Nyanti later assumed the role of GFATM Programme Manager in Nepal, marking an expansion of her international contributions.
Throughout her career, Sara climbed the ranks, taking on prestigious positions such as UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal in 2021, UNICEF Representative in Yemen from 2019 to 2020, and in the Gambia from 2015 to 2017. Prior to her senior representational roles, Nyanti made significant technical contributions within UNICEF and UNDP, focusing on the establishment of systems for large-scale grant management, Ebola response, social protection/cash transfers, HIV/AIDS, health, and education.
A few years ago, Sara Beysolow Nyanti reached one of the highest echelons within the UN hierarchy when Secretary-General António Guterres appointed her as Deputy Special Representative to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), UN Resident Coordinator in South Sudan, and Humanitarian Coordinator in the East African nation. This appointment placed her at the level of UN Assistant Secretary General.
Beysolow-Nyanti holds a master’s degree in public administration from the New Charter University, USA and completed a second master’s in management and leadership from Western Governors University, USA; and is an accredited Broker with the United Kingdom-based international Partnership Broker Association managing and developing collaboration processes. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Transformational Leadership.