Claims Both Men Have “Troubling Human Rights Records”
PHOTO: Francis S. Nyumalin, Internal Affairs Min. designate
Monrovia, Liberia – Former President George Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) wants the Liberian Senate to reject two of President Joseph Boakai’s nominees in the Cabinet and in the command of the Liberia National Police (LNP).
In a press release CDC expresses profound dismay at President Joseph Boakai’s nomination of Mr. Francis S. Nyumalin as Minister of Internal Affairs and Mr. J. Nelson Freeman as Deputy Inspector General for Operations of the Liberia National Police.
According to the CDC, the appointment of these individuals, who have a reprehensible history of violence, death, and destruction perpetrated against innocent citizens, severely impedes the progress of the widely promoted ‘Rescue Train,’ which now appears completely derailed.
Mr. Nyumalin, a nephew of President Boakai, was defeated in the October 10, 2023 Representative election in Lofa County.
In urging President Boakai to remove the two instigators of violence and any others involved in harming innocent citizens, the Congress for Democratic Change also appeals to the esteemed Liberian Senate to reject these nominees if the President remains steadfast in his decision.
Given the overwhelming evidence implicating these two suspects in the deaths, violence, and lawlessness against innocent citizens, it would be prudent for President Boakai or the Senate to take decisive action. This could help mitigate the impact of partisan biases that currently hinder patriotic thinking.
Driven by an excessive zeal to further political agendas, Mr. J. Nelson Freeman, on separate occasions, notably on November 7th, 2011, led a brutal special unit of the Liberia National Police. This unit trespassed onto the premises of the Congress for Democratic Change in Congo Town, where they subjected unarmed civilians to brutalization and point-blank shootings, resulting in fatalities. Despite these egregious human rights violations, Mr. Freeman evaded accountability, being absolved of wrongdoing by a partisan committee convened to ensure his innocence, while his victims continue to seek justice to this day.
“Similarly, Mr. Francis S. Nyumalin, a former legislator, rose to infamy during recent elections in Foya, Lofa County for masterminding a systematic campaign of death, violence, and bloodshed against perceived political opponents. He openly proclaimed,” the CDC press release concluded.