VZCZCXRO4637
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0134 0481843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171843Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0782
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MONROVIA 000134 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSETIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ABLG SOCI LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: MONROVIA'S NEW MAYOR CLEANING UP CITY FAST 
 
¶1. (SBU) President Sirleaf appointed her friend and trusted 
confidante, Mary Broh, as Mayor of the City of Monrovia on February 
¶6.  As Mayor, Broh replaces the political placeholder Ophelia 
Hoff-Saytumah, wife of Minister of State for Economic and Legal 
Affairs, Morris Saytumah.  The appointment of Mary Broh, a U.S. 
Green Card holder known for her ability to accomplish projects 
quickly, is seen as an attempt by the President to spruce up the 
city of Monrovia before the International Women's Colloquium March 
7-8. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Broh -- who was appointed only on February 2 -- has already 
joined police officers in a bid to remove street sellers from the 
major streets of Monrovia.  She has ordered and personally 
supervised the removal and demolition of illegal structures.  "Craft 
Alley," a street leading to the entrance of Embassy's Greystone 
Compound where local vendors sell handicrafts, was one of the first 
market areas affected.  Temporary wooden stalls and make-shift craft 
shops have been demolished.  Some of the vendors who had been 
working in Craft Alley for fifteen years were in the back of their 
stalls as they were being destroyed.  The more permanent buildings 
are scheduled to be removed soon.  The artisans are blaming the 
Embassy for the loss of their structures and livelihoods, even 
though Post had nothing to do with this order.  During her Senate 
hearing, Broh reportedly apologized for the fires and her swift 
actions. 
 
BIOGRAPHY 
--------- 
 
¶3. (U) Mary Broh is regarded as a tough disciplinarian and 
no-nonsense administrator.  She fled Liberia during the Taylor 
Administration and resided in Brooklyn, New York where she served on 
various Liberian welfare organizations as a community activist.  She 
returned to Liberia after the 2005 elections and was appointed 
Director of Passports at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she 
fired and prosecuted corrupt officials who were extending passports 
illegally and introduced better controls in the system.  She also 
served as Director of Special Projects in the Office of President 
Sirleaf and undertook several projects to give Monrovia a face lift. 
 Most recently, she served as Deputy Managing Director for 
Administration at the National Port Authority, where she introduced 
strong policies to increase security, often standing at the gates of 
the port herself to monitor compliance. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Members of the public have hailed Broh's appointment on 
radio talk shows as someone who can remake Monrovia into the 
beautiful city it once was.  Indeed, she has already accomplished 
some things that her predecessor was unable or unwilling to do in 
over three years.  On the other hand, Broh's swift and assertive 
action will undoubtedly have social repercussions if no alternatives 
are provided to those who have lost their homes or livelihoods. 
Overall, Broh's decisive attitude and output-oriented productivity 
have been very helpful to the Embassy in the past, but we are 
mindful that she can be autocratic and strong-willed and we will 
keep lines of communication open with her.  END COMMENT. 
 
THOMAS-GREENFIELD