By By: Staff Writer
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has distanced itself from a pronouncement by Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs Fatima Bintu Sirleaf that several cities across Liberia have been dissolved.
Appearing before the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Internal Affairs Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin said the announcement does not represent the Ministry’s position and apologized to lawmakers for the confusion.
Minister Nyumalin clarified that no city has been dissolved.
According to him, the Ministry recently conducted a nationwide assessment of cities in collaboration with other government institutions and partners to determine which cities meet the requirements to retain city status and which should be downgraded to townships or other localities.
He explained that the assessment report has been validated in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including county superintendents, lawmakers, and local residents, and is now ready for submission to the Legislature.
However, Minister Nyumalin said the Ministry is conducting additional analysis on the potential impact of any downgrade before making formal recommendations.
“If a city is downgraded, the mayor will lose the position, and some civil servants on the government payroll in affected cities could also lose their jobs,” Nyumalin told lawmakers. “We are assessing how many people will be affected to properly guide our recommendations.”
He assured the House that the final report will be submitted to the Legislature for review and subsequent action.
Deputy Minister Sirleaf had earlier announced that several cities had been dissolved for failing to meet city status requirements, a pronouncement that sparked public concern and confusion across affected counties.
The Ministry says that pronouncement was premature and unauthorized.
