By Hannah N. Geterminah
Claim: The United States government has declared Mrs. Dialokai Kemayah, wife of Foreign Minister Maxwell Kemayah, a persona non grata.
Verdict: Uncheckable
Full Text: several claims on social media users says the United States government has declared Mrs. Dialokai Kemayah, wife of Foreign Minister Maxwell Kemayah, a persona non grata.
She served as the Minister’s Counselor at the Liberian Mission in New York.
The claim further that Madam Kemayah was ordered to leave the United States immediately.
“persona non grata” indicates that a diplomatic agent of a state is unacceptable to the receiving state. This can take place either before the individual is accredited, indicating that the proposed appointee is unacceptable to the host state and will not be received, or after the accreditation process in response to some real or alleged impropriety by the diplomatic agent.
“Proclaiming a diplomat persona non grata usually results from an unfriendly attitude toward the (prospective) receiving state, violation of its laws or of international law, or improper diplomatic behavior or indiscretions, although the host state may proclaim a diplomat persona non grata for any or no reason. The sending state must then recall its agent or, should not recall occurring, the host state may ignore the presence of the diplomatic agent or expel the diplomat from its territory.”
Verification: Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss Liberia’s foreign issue on June 28, 2022, disclosed that his wife, Dialokai Golayon-Kemayah was never declared a persona non-grata by the United States government when serving as Liberia’s Consulate General to New York.
Kemayah’s response came shortly after Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon questioned him about the status of his wife as head of Liberia’s diplomatic mission in New York.
“In forging service or diplomatic professions, we refer to it as a nomadic profession you can pick up your things today and go, and tomorrow they ask you to come back; we called that recalled. A recall is very normal everywhere.
The minister Consulate was recalled by the Liberian government,” Kemayah said.
Dillon asked the Minister saying, “Mr. Minister, let me remind you that you are under oath, was the Minister Consulate recalled by President Weah or removed from America by the State Department and declare personal non-grata?”
Kemayah replied promptly, “The government of Liberia recalled the Minister Consulate since I began as Minister of Foreign Affairs, no diplomat has been declared as persona non-grata by any of host governments.”
A spokesperson of the U.S Embassy near Monrovia when contacted, told The Stage Media, “Thanks for reaching out to us and we apologize if we are late in responding to your inquiry we cannot comment on individual immigration matters or concerns. We recommend you reach out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the individuals in question.”
Conclusion: The information provided by the Foreign Minister is Uncheckable.
