Liberia: Boakai Names Retired Army General to Head Anti-Drug Agency

What the report says

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has appointed retired Major General Daniel Dee Ziankahn, a former defense minister and military adviser to the president, to lead Liberia’s Drug Enforcement Agency, according to the Liberian Observer report carried by AllAfrica. The move comes amid a broader government crackdown on narcotics trafficking and follows a series of high-profile drug seizures and security shakeups in the country.

The article says the appointment was made in Monrovia and reflects a shift toward treating drug trafficking as a national security concern rather than only a policing issue. The report points to earlier seizures, including cocaine intercepted at Roberts International Airport and a much larger suspected cocaine haul in Duazon, Margibi County. It says those cases raised questions about possible institutional compromise and prompted dismissals, suspensions and investigations across several security bodies.

Ziankahn previously served as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia and later as minister of national defense. The story portrays him as bringing experience in military command and institutional reform to the anti-drug agency. The president also named deputies for operations and administration, pending Senate confirmation, and ordered the new team to work with justice and security agencies as well as international partners.

The development matters because Liberia is under growing scrutiny over whether it is being used as a transit point for international cocaine trafficking. The report suggests the administration is seeking stronger coordination, tighter border controls and greater accountability inside the security sector.