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Claim: A Facebook user alleged in a post that the French Foreign Affairs Minister wrote, “The Government of France isn’t aware of Liberia President Joe Boakai’s visit.”
Verdict: DUBAWA’s investigation found no record or credible source to support the claim that France’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, made such a statement. A review of his verified Facebook and LinkedIn pages shows no such post or comment. Likewise, no credible international media outlet has reported this alleged statement.
Full Text
On October 28, 2025, the Executive Mansion of Liberia announced via a press release that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., was departing Liberia for an official state visit to the French Republic at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron.
Hours later, Nicholas K. Myers posted on Facebook, alleging that the government of France, through its Foreign Affairs Minister, had written that it was not aware of President Boakai’s visit.
In the post, he said:
“France Foreign Affairs Minister writes, ‘The Government of France isn’t aware of Liberia President Joe Boakai’s visit.’”
The post has since gone viral, generating over 136 comments and 76 reactions as of November 4, 2025.
DUBAWA decided to investigate as part of its commitment to combating misinformation and disinformation.
Verification
DUBAWA first contacted the claimant to provide evidence or a source for his claim, but he has yet to respond to our inquiry. We then reviewed the official Facebook and LinkedIn accounts of France’s Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, which showed no record of any post or statement related to President Boakai’s visit to France.
Furthermore, a Google keyword search revealed no reports or press releases from any credible French or international media organizations—including the BBC, CNN, Reuters, or Al Jazeera—supporting the claim.
However, after a thorough review of the Executive Mansion-Liberia Facebook page, our researcher found several pictures and videos confirming that President Boakai received a formal state welcome and held a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
Conclusion
There is no credible evidence that France’s Foreign Minister ever stated the government was unaware of President Boakai’s visit. Available information, however, confirms that the visit was official and recognised by both governments.
