MONROVIA: Liberia’s outgoing governing party says it has voted to expel President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf because of her alleged decision not to support her vice president in the latest presidential poll.
Unity Party’s assistant secretary-general for press and public affairs, Mohammed Ali, said Sirleaf was expelled for violating the party’s constitution. He said Sirleaf is accused of sending people to campaign against the party.
Vice President Joseph Boakai, who served as Sirleaf’s deputy for 12 years, lost the Dec. 26 runoff elections to former international soccer star George Weah.
Ali added that the president was also seen campaigning with Weah. He said Boakai supports the decision to expel Sirleaf Johnson.
Sirleaf’s press secretary Jerolinmek Piah and Information Minister Eugene Nagbe told The Associated Press late Saturday the president will react later.
Liberia ruling party expels president for not supporting VP
Liberia ruling party expels president for not supporting VP
Indonesia strips citizenship of ex-officers who joined Russian mercenary forces
- Muhammad Rio, Satria Kumbara went viral after claiming they were fighting in Ukraine
- Both were dishonorably discharged, Indonesian police and navy have separately confirmed
JAKARTA: Indonesia has revoked the citizenship of former security forces personnel who joined Russian mercenary forces, the government said, addressing the cases of a former policeman and a navy officer who have reportedly joined the fighting in Ukraine.
Muhammad Rio, a former member of Indonesia’s paramilitary police force Brimob in Aceh province, said he was recruited by Russia’s Wagner Group in videos and photos that have widely circulated since last week.
His case followed that of former Indonesian marine Satria Kumbara, who also went viral last year after uploading clips on TikTok, where he claimed to be fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Their Indonesian citizenships have been revoked, said Law Minister Supratman Andi Atgas.
“Anyone, be it a Brimob officer or a civilian, who joins a foreign military without the president’s permission will automatically lose his citizenship … That is clearly stipulated in the law,” he told reporters.
According to Atgas, the Indonesians who joined Russian mercenary forces did so discreetly, had their own contacts and never reported to the local Indonesian Embassy following their arrival, which makes them “difficult to track down.”
After the latest case of Rio made headlines across Indonesia, Aceh police spokesperson Joko Krisdiyanto issued a statement over the weekend, saying that the ex-policeman had deserted his post since Dec. 8 and left Indonesia on Dec. 18.
On Jan. 7, he sent photos and videos to a group chat comprising fellow police officers, “showing that the concerned person has joined the Russian mercenary division, while also describing the registration process and the salary received in Russian ruble converted to Indonesian rupiah.”
He was slapped with a dishonorable discharge on Jan. 9 over a series of misconduct, including his alleged involvement with the Russian military, Krisdiyanto said.
The Indonesian Navy has also confirmed that ex-marine Kumbara was dishonorably discharged in 2023.
