The Government of South Africa has pledged to deploy a fully funded, high-level technical, tourism and cultural delegation to Liberia in support of the establishment of Liberia’s proposed National Peace, Reconciliation and Memorial Museum.

The commitment was made during high-level discussions between South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, and Liberia’s Minister of State Without Portfolio, Hadja Mamaka Bility, who is leading a delegation appointed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. on a study tour aimed at advancing Liberia’s vision for a national institution dedicated to preserving history, promoting reconciliation, and fostering national healing.

The Liberian delegation, accompanied by UNDP Liberia Resident Representative Aliou Mamadou Dia and Governance Pillar Head Stanley Kamara, arrived in South Africa following a productive visit to Rwanda. The study tour is designed to draw lessons from countries that have successfully used memory, heritage, and memorial institutions to support post-conflict healing, social cohesion, and national unity.

Minister McKenzie directed that the South African mission includes senior experts from leading museums, memorial sites, archives, cultural institutions, artifact repatriation initiatives, and organizations with experience linked to South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission process.

The technical delegation is expected to travel to Monrovia to conduct workshops, provide expert advice, and support Liberia in developing systems for collecting, preserving, and presenting the nation’s history while maintaining the truth and integrity of its past.

Welcoming the commitment, Minister Bility described the development as a significant milestone in Liberia’s efforts to establish a world-class memorial institution.

“Liberia looks forward to working closely with the Government of South Africa and its technical institutions as we move toward implementation of this important national project. The planned South African mission will provide valuable expertise and strengthen our efforts to preserve history, promote reconciliation, and ensure future generations understand the lessons of our past,” Minister Bility said.

The South African mission is expected to coincide with the convening of the inaugural steering committee for the proposed museum, creating an opportunity for intensive engagement between Liberian and South African experts.

Minister McKenzie emphasized the strong historical ties between the two countries, describing Liberia and South Africa as “brother and sister nations.” He recalled Liberia’s support to South African freedom fighters during the anti-apartheid struggle and underscored that the engagement would be rooted in mutual cooperation and shared learning.

“We are not going there only to teach. We are also going there to learn from the Liberians,” Minister McKenzie said.

During the four-day South African phase of the study tour, the Liberian delegation engaged senior government officials responsible for planning, monitoring and evaluation, as well as representatives of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The delegation also met with the leadership of the University of South Africa (UNISA), where discussions focused on opportunities for knowledge-sharing, specialized training, and postgraduate education for Liberians in museum management, archives, peacebuilding, and reconciliation studies.

As part of the visit, the delegation toured several of South Africa’s most prominent historical and cultural institutions, including the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Hector Pieterson Museum, Mandela House, Freedom Park, and UNDP South Africa. 

The visits provided firsthand insight into how countries preserve historical memory, document difficult chapters of their history, and create spaces that contribute to dialogue, healing, and social cohesion.

UNDP Liberia Resident Representative Aliou Mamadou Dia described the outcome of the engagement as a significant boost to Liberia’s museum initiative and reaffirmed UNDP’s continued support to the Government of Liberia.

“The experiences and partnerships developed through this study tour provide valuable lessons that can help Liberia establish a credible and impactful institution that preserves historical memory while promoting healing, reconciliation, and national unity,” Dia said.

The South African commitment follows the successful completion of both the Rwanda and South Africa phases of the study tour, undertaken at the direction of President Boakai as part of his Administration’s broader reconciliation agenda.

The delegation is expected to return to Liberia to brief President Boakai on the outcomes of the engagements, consolidate lessons learned, and begin preparations for the arrival of the South African technical mission.

The proposed National Peace, Reconciliation and Memorial Museum is expected to become one of Liberia’s most significant post-war institutions, providing a platform for historical preservation, remembrance, healing, reconciliation, and national unity. 

The initiative forms part of President Boakai’s broader efforts to preserve Liberia’s history and ensure that present and future generations have an accurate and meaningful understanding of the country’s past.

-END-