Liberia mourns Amb. von Ballmoos

The Government of Liberia has finally laid to rest fallen Ambassador Rudolph Precious von Ballmoos, who was accredited to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, following official funeral ceremonies held at the First United Methodist Church on Ashmum Street, Monrovia.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, members of the Legislature, Justices of the Supreme Court, Foreign Diplomats, family members and friends graced the funeral rites on Saturday, 9 January.

The late Amb.von Ballmoos died in London on December 17, and was subsequently brought to Monrovia for a state burial, which happened at the Kaizer Memorial Cemetery in Brewerville, outside Monrovia on Saturday.

Paying homage to the fallen diplomat on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, Acting Foreign Minister Mr. Elias Shoniyin said, government received Amb. von Ballmoos’ death news “with complete shock and absolute disbelief.”

Mr. Shoniyin said the late ambassador was easily one of Liberia’s foremost diplomats, who served his country and people with utmost dedication, commitment and loyalty. He further described the late Amb. von Ballmoos as one of the outstanding new breed Liberian diplomats trained and grown in the art, language and practice of economic and development diplomacy.

“His performance in this new and challenging area of modern day diplomacy was exceptional,” he said, citing economic dividends in terms of increased foreign direct investment, development assistance as well as direct investment to the country.

The Minister said it was this new training the late ambassador received in development diplomacy that motivated his transfer from the Republic of Ghana to the Court of St. James, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf where he served for over a year and half until his demise on December 17.

Delivering the Funeral Discourse under the theme “When the Clock strikes,” First United Methodist Pastor Rev. Dr. Erlene P. Thompson, cautioned the audience that when the clock strikes “we do separate from the human world to the spirit world.”

She cautioned that “since we don’t know when our clock will strike, day by day our work must be completed” so that it does not matter when it comes. Rev. Thompson noted that the late von Ballmoos was one man, who always paid his dues even though he was in foreign land and always in touch with his church to know how things were.

She said the late Amb. von Ballmoos was placed on earth to play his role in the diplomatic cycle of Liberia, and that he did the best he could to serve his people. “He impacted the diplomatic cycle meaningfully. He was also a church man; he was a man, who gave himself to the ministry of the church,” said the Methodist prelate.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by Jonathan Browne