France: Weah Says Liberia Is Broke, to Hold Talks with Macron

Liberia President George Weah will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron for his first official at the Palace of Elysee.

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On Tuesday, the Liberian president promised to fight corruption despite inheriting a “broke country.” Weah made the remarks on the first day of an official visit to Paris.

"I inherited a country that is very broke, depleted by political malfeasance. We have to make sure that the things that happened will not happen again," Weah said.

"I ordered a complete audit to make sure that what belongs to the government goes to the government."

Weah also said another top priority was to provide education for young people who make up 60 percent of Liberia's 4.7 million people. He disclosed that he inherited a broke nation, which had suffered through civil wars (1989-1996 and 1999-2003) and an Ebola crisis.

"I believe in education. Yes, I didn't have the opportunity in my early days but after my carrier, I went back to school. Today I can boast of a masters degree," said the new leader, who grew up in a Monrovia slum.

Liberia was founded by freed slaves 170 years ago and is “the oldest African country but we don't have an engineering school. We don't even have a diagnosis center to tell if someone has Ebola,” the president said.

The two heads of state will discuss the ways in which France can help Liberia as well as the rest of the continent of Africa, according to an announcement from Macron. In a recent visit to the region, Macron pledged investment plans aimed at improving education, health and culture in the countries most affected by poverty.