-In High-Stakes Diplomatic Push
N’Djamena — In a delicate diplomatic dance to secure Africa’s backing, Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti made an impassioned plea to Chad’s leadership Tuesday, framing her nation’s bid for a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent seat as a corrective measure to decades of Liberia’s absence.
The closed-door meeting with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby at the Presidential Palace carried unspoken geopolitical weight: with Africa’s third-highest peacekeeping troop contributor (Chad) now weighing in on Liberia’s campaign, the encounter became a litmus test for Pan-African solidarity in reforming global power structures.
A Bid to Amplify Africa’s Voice
Minister Nyanti, delivering a personal appeal from President Joseph Boakai, positioned Liberia’s 2026-2027 UNSC candidacy as a vehicle to address what African leaders have long decried as systemic exclusion. “This isn’t just about Liberia’s seat,” Nyanti told reporters after the meeting, her tone measured but urgent. “It’s about whether the Security Council’s decisions will finally reflect the realities of 1.4 billion Africans.”
Her argument struck a chord. President Déby — whose nation has deployed over 1,500 troops to UN missions despite occupying no permanent Security Council seat — pledged unequivocal support. “Africa’s absence at decision-making tables has cost us dearly in conflicts from the Sahel to the Horn,” Déby stated, alluding to recent UN debates where African nations had minimal sway.
The Unspoken Stakes
Behind the diplomatic niceties lay hard calculations. For Liberia, the bid tests its post-civil war transformation into a credible international actor
For Chad, backing Monrovia strengthens its case for future UNSC rotations. For Africa, it’s a chance to consolidate behind a single candidate, avoiding the splits that have previously diluted the continent’s influence
Nyanti’s visit strategically coincided with growing African frustration over the UN’s handling of crises in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Security Council resolutions have faced accusations of being “out of touch with ground realities.”
Beyond the UNSC: A Budding Partnership
The talks also yielded quieter breakthroughs, with both nations agreeing to: Establish a joint commission on trans-Saharan trade routes, Explore Chad’s expertise in desert agriculture to bolster Liberia’s food security
and Initiate diplomatic exchanges to strengthen institutional capacity
With Chad’s endorsement secured, Nyanti departs for Nigeria and South Africa — two heavyweight voters whose support could make or break Liberia’s bid. As one African Union insider noted: “The real work begins now. Turning sympathy into votes requires navigating Africa’s complex political fault lines.”
