Joseph Boakai sworn in as Liberian president

MONROVIA: Joseph Boakai was sworn in Monday as Liberia's president after his election victory over former football star George Weah, with the challenge of tackling poverty and corruption.

The 79-year-old narrowly beat former Ballon d´Or winner Weah in November´s run-off poll with 50.64 percent of the votes to 49.36 percent. The investiture ceremony in parliament was attended by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Boakai, who will be steering Africa´s oldest republic for six years, has 40 years of political experience behind him. He was vice-president from 2006 to 2018 under Africa´s first elected female head of state Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, before being soundly beaten by Weah in the 2017 election. November´s poll in the West African country was peaceful in a region that has seen a succession of military coups in recent years in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger. But the small nation of five million has been plagued with corruption, high levels of poverty and a weak justice system, after years of back-to-back civil wars and an Ebola outbreak. Impunity related to crimes committed during those civil wars is another unresolved issue.

Boakai aligned himself with local barons during his election campaign, including former warlord Prince Johnson. Johnson, who enjoys strong support in northeastern Nimba County, backed Weah in 2017.