By Anthony Stephens, senior correspondent with New Narratives

Summary:

• Sweden will wind down it development cooperation with Liberia and officially close its embassy in August 2026.
• In a press conference Sweden’s development minister said the government had made the decision in order to divert development funds to Ukraine for its defense against Russia.
• Sweden has been one of the country’s most dependable donors, supporting government institutions, civil society and independent media. The announcement follows funding cuts by the United State, European Union and United Nations.

Sweden, long Liberia’s most reliable and generous development partner, announced on Friday that it will end bilateral aid to Liberia and close its embassy in Monrovia by August bringing an abrupt end to decades of deep cooperation.

In a statement on Facebook, the embassy described the decision it described as “difficult…This decision has not been taken lightly and is a consequence of reduced funding in our overall budget for development budget,” the statement read. “Other countries that are being affected in Africa are Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Tanzania.”

Announcing the decision at a press conference in Sweden, Benjamin Dousa, Minister for Development Cooperation, said the money will go to Ukraine instead.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 set off the biggest war in Europe in decades, and Ukraine has depended heavily on help from Western countries to defend itself. But in the past year, Europe has struggled to keep up support after the United States—Ukraine’s largest military backer—cut major funding. European leaders say they want to continue helping Ukraine, but many countries are dealing with their own economic problems, high energy prices, and limits on how much ammunition and equipment they can produce. As the war drags on, experts warn that Ukraine’s future depends on whether Europe can step up and fill the gap left by the U.S. funding shortfall.

After Russia’s invasion Sweden joined the North American Treaty Organization, a group of countries in Europe and North America that have promised to protect each other if any one of them is attacked. Many Swedes feared their country might be a Russian target.

“We see that the need is even greater in Ukraine,” said Dousa, speaking in Swedish. “It is a defining moment in the history of Europe.” 

The embassy said the withdrawal “will be done in a responsible and orderly way,” adding that Sweden’s support through the European Union and multilateral organizations would continue. The decision, it said, was “not in any way linked to policies or events in Liberia.”

Still, the announcement sent shockwaves across Liberia, where Sweden has been one of the last major bilateral donors standing. The U.S. government, historically Liberia’s largest partner, cut an estimated $US300 million in assistance earlier this year — the equivalent of more than one-third of Liberia’s national budget — leaving Sweden, the EU and a handful of international partners to fill critical gaps.

Under its current cooperation strategy for Liberia — a SEK1.85 billion or $US196.7 million program running from 2021 to 2025 — Sweden funds 39 projects spanning human rights, rule of law, governance reform, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, youth and women’s empowerment, agriculture, infrastructure, media development, climate resilience and environmental protection. (New Narratives has been a beneficiary of Swedish support.) 

Sweden is also the only international donor so far to fund Liberia’s war-crimes court process. Its support was routed through the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, which in turn provided assistance to Liberia’s Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court. Experts warn that Sweden’s withdrawal will further weaken Liberia’s already fragile transitional-justice efforts.

The pullout is likely to result in significant job losses across the many programs Sweden supports and will also affect the thousands of Liberians who directly benefit from those initiatives.

“When you factor in indirect employment—construction workers on infrastructure projects, farmers in agricultural value chains, trainers in skills development programs—the affected population easily reaches thousands,” warned Tennen B. Dalieh Tehoungue, a former national programme officer for Gender and Human Security at the Swedish embassy, in an email. “Communities in counties where Swedish road rehabilitation projects operate may see work halt mid-construction. Health facilities receiving Swedish support for maternal health services may see programs wind down, exacerbating Liberia’s already dire maternal mortality rates. The broader aid economy—hotels, vehicle rentals, restaurants, printing services—that depended on donor presence will fall sharply.”

Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to 1958 when the Liberian-American-Swedish Mining Company, known as Lamco, a major iron ore mining project, made Sweden one of the country’s biggest foreign partners. The company built railways, roads, and the town of Yekepa, but it was also criticized for taking profits out of Liberia and leaving behind economic and environmental damage when the mines collapsed during the civil war. In 2023, the two nations celebrated 65 years of relations, marking one of Liberia’s longest-standing bilateral partnerships.

Despite the phase-out, Sweden said it intends to preserve what it called the “excellent relationship” between the two countries.

“We will seek to strenghten and broaden the partnership between Liberia and Sweden beyond development cooperation not least through enhanced trade and business relations,” the embassy said. “Sweden remains a steadfast partner to Liberia and attaches great importance to our shared priorities and values which together with our strong historic ties provides a solid foundation for continued good relations between our two countries.”

Officials at Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Information — including assistant minister for public affairs Saywhar Gbaa, Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, the information minister and deputy information minister Daniel Sando — did not respond to requests for comment.

But organizations directly funded by Sweden are still coming to terms with the news which comes as the country is still reeling from the USAID cuts combined with economic impacts of climate change and global economic turmoil.

“This will indeed be a difficult moment for us as an institution,” said Eddie D. Jarwolo, executive director of Naymote Partners for Democratic Development in a whatsapp message. “Especially with the termination of the USAID partnership, the Swedish government has been our strongest and most dependable source of support.”

Jarwolo said Sweden had “contributed immensely to the advancement of democracy in Liberia, and for that, we remain deeply grateful…The partnership and collaboration we have enjoyed over the years with the Swedish have had a meaningful impact, and its closure is something we never anticipated at this time,” said Jarwolo. “Liberia will truly feel the absence of the embassy and its work. Naymote appreciates the cooperation, friendship, and shared commitment to strengthening democratic governance in our country with Sweden’s support.”

Sweden’s departure also comes at a critical moment for Liberia. The timing coincides with the year Liberia is set to begin its term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council — “a timing that couldn’t be more unfortunate,” Tehoungue said.

George Kronnisanyon Werner, a former education minister in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration, criticized the Liberian government for failing to avert the pullout.

“We could have articulated Liberia’s continuing relevance in West Africa’s stability,” Werner argued in a Facebook post. “We could have made a principled and evidence-based case for continued bilateral cooperation. We could have appealed to Sweden’s historic role in Liberia’s democracy and peace. But we did none of this. We did not use the tools available to us.”

Government officials did not respond to questions about whether efforts were made to avoid the withdrawal.

Werner called Sweden’s withdrawal a “quiet earthquake.”

“This did not happen overnight,” said Werner, who himself benefited from Sweden’s support when he was at Civil Service Agency. “The consequences will be felt not only in our infrastructure and institutions, but also in our fragile democratic ecosystem.”

Werner noted that the first warning sign might have appeared weeks ago when the Folke Bernadotte Academy — Sweden’s premier peace and security institution — abruptly closed its Liberia program.

“When the agency responsible for Sweden’s global peacebuilding footprint chooses to withdraw from a country, it is rarely a routine bureaucratic decision,” he said. “It is almost always the first tremor before a larger strategic shift. Liberia missed that tremor entirely.”

Tehoungue agreed that the implications of the withdrawal would be far reaching.

“For a country that has worked tirelessly to rehabilitate its post-war image, having a major European partner withdraw suggests either development saturation or strategic deprioritization— I argue, neither narrative helps Liberia’s diplomatic standing,” she said. “While Sweden emphasized the decision is not linked to any policies or events within Liberia, the political message is clear: Western countries are prioritizing the development needs of their countries.”

In August, Sweden pledged to contribute approximately SEK2.7 billion or $US275 million in military support package to Ukraine. The govenrment plans to redistribute  SEK 2 billion or $US200 million Ukraine in the coming years. Some humanitarian support, including for sexual and reproductive health and rights, will continue globally

Experts say the news, coming at the same time as a proposal in the Senate to slash legislators’ pay, will put even more pressure on government to cut corruption and curb excessive spending on itself. Jarwolo urged the government to reassess its development priorities.

“The government of Liberia should focus more on using the resources of the country to support the development and sustainability of democracy, peace and stability,” said Jarwolo. “Political governance, and democracy enhancement could encourage more investments in the country to create jobs, and improve national development.”

This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say in the story’s content.

Monrovia –The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Liberia Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) have dedicated a US$125,000 solar light system at the YMCA headquarters in Monrovia. The dedication ceremony took place on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at the YMCA headquarters on Crown Hill, Broad Street. Attendees included Urban Sjöström, the Swedish Ambassador; Vonyee Newton Kolison, Acting National General Secretary of the YMCA; Edward E. Gboe, Vice Chairman of the National Board of Directors; Trocon Allen; and others.

Ambassador Sjöström described the YMCA as a “house full of energy” and expressed his satisfaction with the partnership. He highlighted that SIDA has similar collaborations with other organizations to establish sustainable energy solutions, aiming for the sustainable development of both people and the planet.

“The installation of this solar panel marks a significant step in that direction. Congratulations to the YMCA for taking this initiative. You now have the largest solar panel in the community. Good luck,” said Sjöström. “This is important because you will have a house full of energy, power, and potential; you represent the future of Liberia and the planet. At YMCA, you will have a strong voice, and we are thrilled to partner with you because we believe in you and the future.” He urged the YMCA to use the energy and their voice for sustainable development.

Edward E. Gboe, Vice Chairman of the National Board of Directors of YMCA, remarked that the YMCA has served Liberia for nearly a century and a half, celebrating its 123rd anniversary this August. “We are grateful that the institution has remained very relevant in the lives of young people and their community,” he said. He thanked SIDA for their partnership and support in serving young leaders in Liberia.

Gboe emphasized that the solar energy project represents a step towards addressing climate change at the community level. He recalled his coordination of a SIDA-sponsored YMCA feeding and literacy program in rural Liberia during the 1996 war, which provided crucial support to disadvantaged and malnourished children.

“The issue of climate change is living with us. There is flooding in our community, homes are destroyed, and lives are interrupted because of how we are managing our environment. This solar energy project is a step towards addressing these issues at a community level,” he said. He also appreciated the support for providing space for youth voices in the peacebuilding program, helping to resolve crises and mentor young people.

Vonyee Newton Kolison, Acting National General Secretary of YMCA, expressed excitement over the commissioning of the solar project, noting its significance in bringing vitality to the YMCA as they host young people in the community. She highlighted the YMCA’s implementation of a peacebuilding project in fourteen to sixteen different communities, with the solarization of their building being a crucial milestone.

“Today we are gathered to celebrate the commissioning of the solar project at the Liberia YMCA, and we are so excited because it brings much life to us, especially as we host young people in this community,” Kolison said. “We are grateful because we are taking a significant step towards sustainability and energy efficiency.”

She noted that for over twenty years, they depended on a 150 KVA generator, which consumed 135 gallons weekly, placing a heavy burden on operational costs. “Imagine, we use one hundred and thirty-five gallons weekly, and that placed a heavy burden on our operational cost.”

Kolison also extended appreciation to the outgoing CEO of YMCA and her team for their dedication to the initiative. “YMCA doors are open again, so we are going to be running our activities here from 5 to 8 pm for people in this community,” she said. “YMCA is a place to be as we celebrate our 143rd anniversary. We are not stopping here; we are going green in all of our YMCA branches.”

She assured the YMCA’s commitment to working towards a sustainable and green environment.

Monrovia – The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS), under its H4+ / H6 project, has extended a training program for journalists and representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in additional three counties including River Cess, Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount.

Previous trainings were organized in Maryland, River Gee and Grand Kru Counties in 2014, bringing the total number of media practitioners and CSOs’ members trained under the project to 60 (sixty counties) in the six counties.

Organized by the Anti-AIDS Media Network (AAMIN), a Liberian based media group, in collaboration with the National AIDS Commission (NAC), these trainings aim at strengthening media/CSOs to increase demand for utilization of H4+/H6 services including Prevention of Mother-to-Child (PMTCT) of Transmission of HIV and Antenatal Care (ANC) in the targeted six counties.

Latest training which took placed in River Cess, Grand Cape Mount and Gbapolu trained about 30 journalists including civil society representatives, under the revised project title, H6.

The H6 aims to increase coverage and access to quality comprehensive maternal, newborn health care services; strengthening Maternal Newborn Death awareness at all Levels; strengthening community including men’s participation for maternal and newborn care services and improving monitoring and evaluation of maternal and newborn health services.

The training focused on how media and civil society representatives can use their expertise to educate the general population on the importance of taking advantage of PMTCT and ANC services to help save their unborn babies.

Speaking at separate opening of the week long training in the new counties, the Executive Director of the Anti-AIDS Media Network, Necus M. Andrews challenged the journalists and CSOs’ representatives to scale-up efforts of creating demand for PMTCT utilization which is part of their social responsibility to the nation and their counties.

Mr. Andrews said the lives of citizens especially those in need of heath care services rest in the hands of the participants.

According to him, this can only be achieved through proper information dissemination and increase awareness building on the use of PMTCT services.

 “Don’t consider yourself only as just journalists and Civil Society representatives during the implementation of this project in your respective counties, but consider yourself as a person called to save lives and to keep people healthy and strong. I wish you the best in your quest,” Mr.  Andrews emphasized.

AAMIN Executive Director said gone are the days when HIV positive pregnant women gave birth to an HIV infected babies because the H6 project is being implemented in the six selected counties to address such issue.

He further urged the participants to use their persuasive journalistic and Civil Society techniques in encouraging pregnant women to seek care at each health facility to reduce the high numbers of Maternal Newborn Deaths.

According to a 2013 data released by UNICEF, Maternal and Newborn Deaths ratio in Liberia stands at 770/100,000 and 38/1,000 per life birth. “This indicates that out of 100,000 women who go to give birth at the various health facilities in the country 770 of them can die, while out of 1,000 children born, 38 of them can die,” the report maintained.

For Mr. Andrews, “This is a scaring ratio that needs to be tackled holistically to reduce the deaths. You have the platform through which the citizens can be informed to do the right things get involved and safe live lives, don’t sit on the fence,” Mr. Andrews urged.

Station Managers in the three counties who took part in the training welcomed the H6 project interventions in their counties and promised to get involved in informing the citizens, as well as representatives of civil society.

Mr. Togar Christian Chea, Station Manager of River Cess Broadcasting System (RBS) committed the station to working with the H6 implementing partners to create the needed awareness in educating the citizens about the importance of the PMTCT services.

“Preventing mothers from transmitting HIV to their unborn children is critical to the protection of lives, so we will do our best,” Mr. Chea noted.

Mr. Botoe McCay, Station Manager of Voice of Kpo in Gbarpolu County praised the H6 interventions and craved collaboration of partners with Voice of Kpo.

Radio Cape Mount Station Manager, Andrew Massalay said the training was the first of its kind for journalists in the county to acquire knowledge about HIV and AIDS related issues. Mr. Massaley wished that more training will be conducted for journalists with focus on HIV reporting.

For his part, Mr. Henry Senkjue, Field Officer of Child Care International in Gbapolu County lauded the Anti-AIDS Media Network for the training program which he said will help support their works as CSOs.

“We depend on the media while the media depends on us. I can assure you, Anti-AIDS Media Network, that we will work together to achieve this share vision of creating demand for H6 services utilization,” Mr. Senkjue noted.

Meanwhile, the Anti-AIDS Media Network has established three associations in River Cess, Gbapolu and Cope Mount Counties to help enhance the work of the H6 project implementing partners.