22 December 2008
The focus of a one-day forum held at the Corina Hotel recently beamed on the much talked about Security Sector Reform process which was begun few years ago.
The forum which was held under the regulation of civil society organizations pulled about 30 participants with University of Liberia Professor Alaric Tokpa providing the food for thought as key presenter. He dwelled on the topic "Private companies and security sector reform in Liberia".
He said the DynCorp Contract with the American Government which guarantees it as a private U.S security firm brings to bed how the U S Government provided the opportunity for a private company, the American Cooperative (ACS) brought freed slaves who participated in the formation of Liberia in 1847.
He said the contract that gives DynCorp the authority to restructure the new Armed Forces of Liberia AFL was signed with between DynCorp as private security and the U S government as such the company was not answerable to the Liberian government in operations.
He stated that there were no plans by DynCorp to give soldiers civil education, adding that the decision by DynCorp to dissolve the AFL was a wrong concept which needed to be looked at seriously. Observers said the erudite professor must have been misled to have said DynCorp dissolved the AFL.
According to them, it was done by the transitional government in keeping with the agreement that ended the 2003 conflict.
But Defense Minster Brownie J. Samukai, Jr. who was also a panelist at the forum said the concept to dissolve the AFL was not done on an individual level, but a decision of all stakeholders to the conflict in 1990.
Minister Samukai said the contract with DynCorp was certified one with the Liberian government and an opened process that provided the opportunity for every Liberian including former warring faction fighters, once they were high school graduate to partake in.
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will the AFL send those boys and girls to school? Because that just what we heard and strating forcing our brothers to join the Army. We are not seeing them doing nothing now. We are getting so afraid now because their time are been wasted. Let the Defence Minister come out and tell us the mean training for the children that they convance to drop out of the University to join the Army. Will they continue their education and when will they start? will be waiting for my reply. Thanks