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Liberia: AFL Soldiers Should Not Be Held Liable
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The NEWS (Monrovia)
EDITORIAL
14 April 2008
Posted to the web 14 April 2008
Monrovia
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia last week disclosed through the media that they were being inadequately fed with poor housing facilities.
The soldiers' disclosure was made when authorities at the Ministry of Defense facilitated a number of journalists with transportation and conveyed them to the Edward B. Kesselly Barracks where personnel of the new Liberian army are being trained and camped.
Following the soldiers' disclosure of inadequate care, the Ministry of Defense interestingly issued a press statement over the weekend in which it described the soldiers' grievances as unfortunate and not representative of the Liberian army.
However, the Defense Ministry said, "Prior to the concerns of the AFL soldiers, the issues were being addressed by the Ministry".
Notwithstanding, the Defense Ministry announced the setting up of a Board of Inquiry to "look into what prompted the statement by the soldiers as well as determine whether any provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice have been breached". The Board is expected to report Friday.
Circumstances surrounding the disclosure of inadequate care by the AFL soldiers can be viewed from a multiple of questionable angles.
According to the Ministry's press release, Defense authorities were aware of the soldiers' concerns but yet, instead of briefing reporters on the issues the authorities chose to facilitate journalists to the barracks to see things for themselves and interact with the soldiers. How then can the soldiers be held accountable if their disclosure constituted a breach as the purpose of the Board of Inquiry seems to suggest?
Or, was there a hidden motive for facilitating journalists to the barracks when Defense authorities were already aware of the issues and were addressing them?
We see the training of the new Liberian army as a bilateral arrangement in which when there is a short-fall the Liberian government has to endeavor as an obligation to fill the gap.
But to expose the short-falls in ways and manners suggestive of the bilateral partner not doing enough is tantamount to shooting one's own leg.
The AFL soldiers should therefore not be found liable for their disclosures.
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We believe if the training of the AFL soldiers is a partnership project between Liberia and the United States, then treatment given the trainees will ultimately discourage the U.S. government and other nations that are providing assistance to train the new army.
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