UN FOCUS - UNMIL

Vol. 6, No. 02 December 2009 - February 2010UN FOCUS

Soldiers Learn EngineeringSkills from Peacekeepers

Liberia Activates Coast Guard UnitAll Eyes on the Borders

MESSAGE FROM THE SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

Ellen Margrethe Løj

Special Representative of the Secretary-General

and Coordinator of United Nations Operations in Liberia

2 UN FOCUS December 2009 - February 2010

First of all, I would like topay homage to all the vic-tims of the devastatingearthquake in Haiti inJanuary. Many UN col-

leagues were among the victims.Among them were four former UNMILemployees, namely former DeputySpecial Representative of theSecretary-General Luis Carlos daCosta, as well as Jerome Yap, FredWooldridge and Josseline Nguekeu,who died in the tragedy. Their invalu-able contribution to the Liberian peaceprocess will not be forgotten. We canpay no better tribute to their memoriesthan by renewing our own commitmentto realizing their goal of consolidatingthe peace in Liberia.

Six years after the deployment ofUNMIL with 15,000 troops, theMission’s military troop strength willbe reduced by May 2010 to just below8,000 personnel in line with the phaseddrawdown, while the police strengthwill remain at 1,200. Although thefuture troop level is subject to SecurityCouncil decision, the maintenance ofpeace and stability in Liberia remains ahigh priority for UNMIL, and theSecretary-General has recommended inhis 19th Progress Report that there beno further troop reduction until afterthe 2011 general elections.

There has been continuous progressin the reform of the security sector. Therestructured Armed Forces of Liberia(AFL) is making progress in enhancingoperational capacities as well as intraining. The two battalions of AFLcompleted the United States ArmyTraining and Evaluation Programme inSeptember and December 2009. Alandmark was reached in January withthe Government of Liberia officiallyassuming responsibilities for the devel-opment of its new army. Liberia alsoactivated a 40-member Coast GuardUnit in January. UNMIL has initiatedjoint training with specialized units ofAFL, such as engineering, militarypolice, signal and headquarters staff.

The Liberian National Police (LNP)also continues to take steps towardsoperational independence, but stillfaces serious challenges. Its EmergencyResponse Unit (ERU) continues toimprove in performance and profes-sionalism. The ERU has deployed out-side Monrovia to respond to unrest ona number of occasions, serving as adeterrent and adding a tactical elementto the local LNP presence. The LNPhas also prioritized the expansion ofthe Police Support Unit to offer flexiblearmed support to normal police opera-tions. However, achievement of anoperationally effective PSU at the rec-ommended strength of 600 officers willrequire substantial additional donorsupport for training, equipment andinfrastructure. It remains criticallyimportant that both the army and thelaw enforcement agencies are capableof defending the country and maintain-ing internal security by the timeUNMIL fully draws down, and the sup-port of donors for improvements in thesecurity sector remains critical.

With the transfer of Sinoe RubberPlantation to a Chinese company underinterim arrangements with the

Government of Liberia, all rubber plan-tations are now under the Government’scontrol, a major milestone. However,unemployment and underemployment,especially of youth, remains a concernas disaffected youth are considered athreat to internal stability and regionalsecurity. The United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP), inconjunction with the Government, isalso preparing to launch a job-creationprogramme for youth in two counties.This will engage 1,500 youth in agri-culture and related activities and willcomplement the Liberian Government’sown dry season initiative to create8,000 jobs. Employment opportunitiesfor youth are of vital importance for theconsolidation of peace and longer termdevelopment in Liberia.

The 20th Progress Report of theSecretary-General on UNMIL has justbeen released, in which the Secretary-General acknowledges the progressmade in Liberia towards consolidatingpeace and stability, but noted that sig-nificant challenges remain in the devel-opment of the Country’s security andrule of law institutions. The Secretary-General also underlined that with therelease of the final edited version of theTruth and Reconciliation Commission’s(TRC) report, time has come forLiberia to define its road towards rec-onciliation. He therefore urged for con-tinued constructive dialogue within theLiberian society on the road aheadregarding the TRC recommendations.The Secretary-General also underlinedthe importance of addressing nationalelectoral legislation in this Legislativeterm in order to facilitate the holding ofcredible democratic elections. TheUnited Nations will continue to utilizeits good offices, as required, to facili-tate dialogue among political actors inthe coming months on the outstandingpolitical and legislative agenda.

December 2009 - February 2010 UN FOCUS 3

Printed by Buck Press Ltd., Accra, Ghana

IN THIS ISSUE

04 Soldiers Learn Engineering Skills

16 from Peacekeepers

06 Liberia Activates Coast Guard Unit

28 Immigration Officials Undergo

16 Training

10 All Eyes on the Borders

12 Correcting Corrections

14 Building Skills of Legislative Staffers

16 Interview: Mustapha Soumare

18 Human Rights in Liberia

20 Journalists Unite Against SGBV

22 Learning along borders…

24 “Pen-Pen Riders” Benefit From

16 Training

26 Millennium Village on Track

30 Liberians Speak

As the new Armed Forces of Liberia still faces major operational and profes-sional challenges, UNMIL and the Government of Liberia have built a strate-gic partnership through which UN peacekeepers deployed in the country arepartnering with the members of the army to enhance their capacities throughtraining. Scores of AFL soldiers have benefitted from the first training in engi-neering.

Against the background of Liberia'svast maritime resources along itscoastline being pillaged daily, thecountry has recently activated aCoast Guard Unit, which is currentlybenefiting from training as well asfunding support from the UnitedStates government.

With mounting political tensions inneighbouring Guinea and Côted'Ivoire,an inter-agency contingencyplan has been developed to pre-serve Liberia’s peace and securityand to counter any spill-over effectsshould there be any population influxfrom neighbouring countries.

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Chief of Public InformationGeorge Somerwill

Editor and Head of PublicationsMathew Elavanalthoduka

Staff WritersSulaiman Momodu

J. Wesley Washington

Design and GraphicsPaddy Defoxy Ilos, II

Thomas S. Blidi

PhotosEmmanuel Tobey

Front cover photo: Christopher Herwig

Published by the Public InformationOffice, United Nations Mission in

Liberiawww.unmil.org

[email protected]


First Lieutenant Daniel Holman,Jr., a member of the 1stEngineering Company of theArmed Forces of Liberia’s23rd Infantry Brigade, is elated

at the training he has received from theUN Mission’s Bangladeshi EngineeringContingent (BANENGR-12). “The train-ing was rewarding because it developedour capacity and skills in a number of crit-ical areas of our discipline which willbecome essential to the reconstruction and

development of our dear country when theUnited Nations peacekeepers depart,” hetold UN FOCUS.

Holman, Jr., was part of the 60-mem-ber AFL engineering company that suc-cessfully completed a 12-week trainingwith the BANENGR-12 contingent. Theycompleted eight weeks of training in com-bat engineering and another four weeks ofspecialized training.

The specialized training involved sol-diers being trained in three specific engi-

neering areas – horizontal, vertical andsapper. The horizontal group receivedtraining in road reconstruction and mainte-nance, building bridges using culverts,operating heavy vehicles and earth movingequipment. The vertical group was taughtvarious aspects of building construction,masonry and concrete works, carpentry,plumbing and electrical installation; whilethe sapper group was trained to handleUXOs and other aspects of combat engi-neering.

Bangladeshi peacekeepers impart engineering skills to their AFL counterparts

Soldiers Learn EngineSkills from Peacekeep

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Besides, the AFL engineering compa-ny officers’ corps was taught engineeringtactics, intelligence and support planning.

Staff Sergeant Keita Musa, Jr., one ofthe graduates, praised the BANENGR-12for going the extra mile in imparting theknowledge to them sometimes throughpractical demonstrations due to the lan-guage barrier. “I really want to clap for theBangladeshis due to this major challenge.They did all they could to share their expe-riences and knowledge with us which is

good for our training as a new engineeringcompany,” the youthful soldier said.

As the newly trained, over 2,000-strong AFL is expected to shoulder fullresponsibility for the security of Liberiawhen the peacekeepers eventually leave, itwas a strategic decision to institute jointtraining exercises between the peacekeep-ers and the AFL soldiers to take advantageof the skills of the peacekeepers while theyare still in Liberia. And the training beganwith the engineering company stationed atCamp Tubman near Gbarnga, BongCounty.

During two weeks leading up toLiberia’s 26 July Independence Day cele-brations in Gbarnga, Bong County, in2009, the BANENGR-12 began mentoringthe newly trained young soldiers. Theywere spread to three different work loca-tions along with their Bangladeshi coun-terparts whose tutoring was centered onroad reconstruction, laying culverts forbuilding bridges, and training in operatingheavy vehicles and earth moving equip-ment.

They worked along with the BANEN-GR-12 in constructing the Bailey bridgethat was dedicated at Nyanforleh River, inSalala District. More recently, theyworked with a contingent of Pakistaniengineers during the construction ofanother Bailey bridge near Sinji, in GrandCape Mount County.

At the launch of the Sinji Bridgerecently, Deputy Public Works Ministerfor Technical Services Jenkins Mends-Cole praised the AFL engineers. “I’mtouched and overwhelmed by your smartapproach in responding to trainingacquired from UNMIL in the launching ofthis Bailey bridge. I’m proud of yourdetermination to learn at such a highspeed,” he said.

The BANENGR-12 ContingentCommander, Lt.-Col. Abdul HamidSaddar was delighted with what he saw ofthe new AFL engineers. “The standard ofthe Company was excellent. They tooktheir lessons – both in the classroom andpractical – seriously,” he told UN FOCUS.

At their graduation ceremony, the AFLengineering graduates demonstrated theirnewly acquired military engineering tech-niques and tactics by displaying their abil-ity to use hand power tools while remain-

ing calm under stress. They also conduct-ed assault river crossing and obstaclebreaking operations, mine laying andclearing operations, as well as executingtarget demolition.

UNMIL Sector B Commander Brig.-Gen. Rahman Muhammad Majibur, reiter-ated UNMIL’s increased desire to seeLiberians take care of the country’s securi-ty. “We would like to see the AFL andother security agencies take full charge ofthe country’s security and other law andorder situations,” he said. Brig.-Gen.Majibur, also the Bangladeshi ContingentCommander, reminded the newly trainedengineers that their profession is full ofchallenges which can only be overcome byprofessional efficiency, sheer hard work,and dedication.

Liberia’s Deputy Defense Minister forOperations, Dionysius Sebwe, expressedthe Liberian Government’s gratefulness tothe UN Mission, especially the peacekeep-ers of BANENGR-12, for the training.“We are grateful for the mentorship andtraining opportunities we continue toreceive from our international partners,”he said, assuring Liberians that in additionto its core mission, the new AFL will playa major role in the country’s reconstruc-tion and development.

The AFL Command Officer-in-ChargeMaj.-Gen. S.A. Abdurrahman describedthe new AFL engineering unit as a “pathfinder that will lead the way for Liberia’srecovery and reconstruction.” He toldthem that, military engineers are an impor-tant component of every army in theworld. “They are the first to go the battle-field, and the last to leave,” remindingthem that as the pioneer engineers of thenew AFL, they have a huge responsibilityto go to every nook and corner of Liberiato open up the country for development.

Recently, at the 53rd anniversary ofArmed Forces Day, President EllenJohnson Sirleaf praised the efforts of theAFL Engineering Battalion, and hoped tosee more collaboration with other partners.“We want to see the AFL EngineeringBattalion working alongside the Ministryof Public Works in opening up the hinter-land through the construction of bridgesand culverts and in logistics support wherenecessary,” she said.

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cers chosen from within the ranks of theAFL and trained in the United States ful-fills in part the 2008 National Defense Actwhich obliged the Liberian Government todevelop and re-establish its capacity toman its territorial waters.

Liberia’s vast maritime resourcesalong its 300-mile coastline are being pil-laged daily due to the country’s inability tooversee its waters. The country loses overUS$12 million annually due to illegal fish-ing. Maritime control is a continuing chal-lenge in the sub-region with drug smug-glers using West Africa as a trans-ship-ment point for illegal narcotics and coun-terfeit drugs worth a staggering US$1.8billion.

Addressing the occasion, United StatesAmbassador Linda Thomas-Greenfieldsaid her government is proud to assist

Liberia in the activation of its Coast Guardand to counter the maritime threats. TheUS government has agreed to provide overUS$5 million worth of training, equip-ment, and infrastructure to the nascentCoast Guard.

“When the Coast Guard moves to theirbase on Bushrod Island, the US Seabeeswill welcome them home by beginningthree major infrastructure constructionprojects at the base – a pier, a boat rampand perimeter wall that will be valued atUS$1.3 million,” the US envoy said.Besides, the US Government has providedthe embryonic Coast Guard with eightzodiac boats and outboard motors toensure that they get off to a successfulstart.

Already, a US Coast Guard mobiletraining team has begun a series of training

Amidst the spectacle andpageantry that character-ized the celebration of theArmed Forces Day inFebruary, Liberia also

marked another key milestone in its ongo-ing security sector reform with the activa-tion of the Coast Guard Unit.

Neatly dressed in their white uniformsand caps, 40 newly trained soldiers of thereorganized Liberia Coast Guard Unitstood “at ease” on the green turf of theBarclay Training Center (BTC), attentive-ly watching the formalities of the “Guide-on” being presented to the unit’sCommander by the Armed Forces ofLiberia (AFL) Command Officer-in-Charge, Maj.-Gen. Suraj AlaoAbdurrahman.

The activation with the initial 40 offi-

LLiibbeerriiaa AAccttiivvaatteess CCooaasstt GGuu Liberia Coast Guard Unit Commander receives “Guide-on” from AFL Command Officer-in-Charge, Maj.-Gen. Suraj Alao Abdurrahman


courses to help build the Coast Guard’stechnical capacity. Additional trainingcourses in areas including boat mainte-nance, small boat operation, and maritimelaw enforcement are scheduled for laterthis year.

The US Government also provides theUnit with scholarships and opportunitiesto study abroad. Four of its personnel arecurrently studying in the United States.Two are in Coast Guard Machinery-Technician School while the others are inthe Officers’ Indoctrination School at theUS Coast Guard Academy. Three othersreturned recently - one from the US ArmyEngineering Basic Officers’ LeadershipCourse and two from the US Coast GuardBoatswain Mate School.

Commander Jennifer Ketehum hasbeen appointed as maritime advisor in the

Office of Security Cooperation within theUS Embassy here. She’s also coordinatingactivities of the newly restructured Unit.

Speaking at the activation, DefenseMinister Brownie J. Samukai, Jr. assuredthe AFL Commander-in-Chief, PresidentEllen Johnson Sirleaf, that the re-activatedCoast Guard Unit would work with theline ministries and agencies of governmentthrough the inter-ministerial committee tocoordinate and collaborate in protectingLiberia’s maritime shores. Samukai

sounded a strong warning to intruders vio-lating Liberia’s territorial waters. “All ofthose illegal fishermen and others engagedin illegal activities out there, we want youto be on notice that the Coast Guard is upand ready for the task and will chase youout of our waters.”

In her remarks, President JohnsonSirleaf congratulated the Coast Guard forits activation while reminding them of thedaunting task ahead which is to improvethe security of the country’s coastline, andcontrol smuggling and illegal fishing.Commenting on the Armed Forces Day2010 theme, “Building a Force for Good,”the Liberian leader noted that this year’stheme was most appropriate, given theachievements of the armed forces so far.

“We are acutely aware of ourGovernment’s responsibility to sustain aprofessional armed forces, including CoastGuard personnel. We commit to the con-tinuous development of the AFL to a pro-fessional standard through training andother capacity-building programmes bothat home and abroad,” President Sirleafstressed. The Liberian Governmentassumed full responsibility for the growth,maintenance and sustenance of AFL on 1January when the contractual arrangementwith the US Government contractorsexpired on 31 December 2009.

President Sirleaf challenged AFL per-sonnel to continue to live up to the mottoof the institution, “Dare to Protect andDefend,” and to go forward and be a forcefor the good of the nation.

At the Armed Forces Day programme,the ministers of defense of Liberia andSierra Leone signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding to collaborate in differentspheres of responsibilities to improve andexpand military and security relationsamong the two Mano River Union Basinstates.

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therefore have limited capacity to adminis-ter the Aliens and Nationality Laws. Tocompound matters, these laws themselvesare obsolete and need overhaul to reflectpresent day realities.

As the Liberian Government currentlylacks the capacity to address the chal-lenges facing the BIN, a tripartite projectthrough the Netherlands Immigration andNaturalization Service (INS), theNetherlands Government ImmigrationRepatriation and Departure Service(R&DS) and the Ghana ImmigrationService (GIS) in collaboration with theUN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is sup-porting the training of 150 BIN officers tostrengthen the Bureau’s institutionalcapacity. Out of the 150, a chosen group of20 would undergo a ‘training of trainers’course. These trainers would then form thecore of the training unit of the BIN in thenear future. The training commenced in

September 2009 and runs for 24 months.The first group of trainee officers,

including 10 females, successfully com-pleted four-months of professional train-ing last December and were graduated inJanuary 2010. The second group of 50BIN officers is expected to leave Liberiain late March.

Besides physical fitness and drill train-ing, the training offers lectures in variouscourses including ImmigrationLaw/Disciplinary Orders, FraudDocument Detection, Sea Port/LandBorder Duties, ECOWAS/InternationalRelations, Basic Intelligence Training,Human Trafficking, as well as BorderSecurity Management.

During the graduation programme,Deputy Special Representative of the UNSecretary-General for the Rule of LawHenrietta Mensa-Bonsu reaffirmedUNMIL’s commitment to support the BIN

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Officer Abigail Wisseh, whojoined Liberia’s Bureau ofImmigration &Naturalization (BIN) in2007, has since been work-

ing without any formal training. But latelast year she got selected for a four-monthintensive training at the GhanaImmigration Training School in AssinFoso, Ghana, along with 49 other immi-gration officials personnel.

“The training was very interesting andrewarding. I sincerely want all my col-leagues to undertake such training becauseit teaches you how to exhibit discipline,respect superior officers, be time con-scious, and most importantly immigrationand border management. Every BIN offi-cer needs to learn these,” says Wisseh.

Most of the nearly 2,000 BIN person-nel have either not been trained at all orhad obtained training before 1989 and

Justice Minister Cllr. Christiana Tah addresses the graduation program

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to develop and implement its strategicplans. UNMIL is mandated to establishfunctioning administrative structures inimmigration and border management atthe national and local level. “We have sup-ported the BIN in a variety of ways,including training of officers; monitoringand on-the-job mentoring of BIN officers;improving the infrastructure of the BIN bybuilding Border Posts under the QuickImpact Projects; and providing technicalsupport to BIN personnel in preparing pro-posals to seek funding to improve theiroperational capacity.” Mensa-Bonsunoted. UNMIL will also support the estab-lishment of a training institute for the BIN,she said.

The DSRSG reminded the newlytrained BIN officers of the challenges theywill encounter in the discharge of theirduties, especially for a country withporous borders. “The West African sub-region has been identified as an attractiveroute for the illicit international trade innarcotics, in addition to its existing prob-lems of human and child trafficking andillegal cross-border movement of ex-com-batants,” she said, reminding them of theneed to win the trust and confidence of thepublic so they will be willing to share withthem information on undesirable aliens oraliens engaged in prohibited activities.“This can only be achieved if you respectthe human rights of those with whom you

come into contact, ensure impartiality andconfidentiality in the discharge of yourduties and eschew corruption,” Ms Mensa-Bonsu advised.

She thanked the Government of Ghanafor its continued support for the recoveryprocess in Liberia and the GhanaImmigration Service for the training aswell as the Netherlands INS and theNetherlands R&DS for their dedication tothe cause, their commitment to the realiza-tion of the project, and for the funding sup-port.

The BIN Commissioner, ClarenceMassaquoi, urged the newly trained offi-cers to remain vigilant, and be focused onissues of national security. “In order for usto have an effective border managementprogramme, our emphasis will be on train-ing,” Massaquoi disclosed, adding that thenewly trained officers on their returnwould be deployed at the major borderpoints in order to provide professional

immigration services.Already, a deployment schedule has

been developed for the recently returnedgraduates. “Those to be deployed to theborder areas will have to be provided thenecessary support which is still lacking,”Commissioner Massaquoi told UNFOCUS, adding that those to be deployedneed accommodation, uniform, equipmentand other logistics to enhance their work.“Most projects undertaken in the name ofthe BIN are currently being done bydonors,” Massaquoi said, adding that

financial support from the government isfar below requirement.

Currently Liberia has 36 official entrypoints alongside 137 illegal ones, many ofthem created during the war years whichexplains the porous nature of the bordersand the myriad challenges facing the coun-try’s immigration authorities.

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The mounting political ten-sions in neighbouring Guineaand Côte d’Ivoire cast a shad-ow over Liberia’s hard-earned peace, overseen by

thousands of UN peacekeepers for over sixyears now. Going by the history of theWest African sub-region, troubles in onecountry tend to easily spill over to itsneighbours and beyond.

Since the death of Guinea’s PresidentLansana Conté and the subsequent mili-tary takeover, the political situation in thatcountry remains extremely fragile with

dozens of protesting civilians massacred.As for Côte d’Ivoire, in February, UNSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon voicedconcern about events following the sus-pension of voter registration ahead of thisyear’s presidential election because of ris-ing tensions. Originally intended to beheld in 2005, the polls have been repeated-ly postponed. The UN peacekeeping mis-sion in Côte d’Ivoire is currently engagingthe major political parties to resume theIvorian political process.

It is against this backdrop that an Inter-agency Contingency Plan has been devel-oped to preserve Liberia’s peace and secu-rity and to counter any spill-over effects

should there be any population influx fromneighbouring countries. The Plan is alsogeared towards rendering humanitarianassistance to the needy.

The Inter-agency Contingency Plan,involving the Liberian government,UNMIL, UN agencies and other partners,is primarily meant to ensure that roles andresponsibilities are known to all stakehold-ers and early response mechanisms are inplace in case of a refugee influx. TheSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General Ellen Margrethe Løj and DeputySpecial Representative Mustapha

Soumaré were actively involved in puttingin place the task force led by the UNHCRto update the contingency plan both atcountry and county levels. In line with itsinternational obligations, the Governmentof Liberia will assume overall responsibil-ity for coordination of emergencyresponse operations through the Ministryof Internal Affairs and the LiberiaRefugee, Repatriation and ResettlementCommission.

Special Representative Løj hasstressed the importance of peace and secu-rity to development, and has assuredLiberians that UNMIL was closely watch-ing the situation in Guinea and had inten-

sified border patrols. During a recent visitto the border, she urged Liberians to alertnational security agencies and UNMIL ofany unusual movements along the border.

“There is no report of influx yet, butwe have identified potential primary andsecondary crossing points, transit points,way stations, and camps. We have alsobuilt up a network of information sharing.We don’t want people, including womenand children, to cross over the border andthere is nobody to help should there be anyinflux,” says Ibrahima Coly, the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees

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(UNHCR) representative in Liberia. Coly,who routinely visits the border countiesand interacts with key actors, says givenLiberia’s post-conflict transition status, itis crucial that any eventual emergencyresponse is balanced with the needs ofmaintaining stability in the country andsupporting the people to continue rebuild-ing their lives.

Reiterating that border monitoring ispart of his agency’s routine activities,UNHCR’s Senior Protection OfficerMamadou Balde says the ContingencyPlan targets refugees who may opt to

remain in border areas among communi-ties with whom they have ethnic affilia-tions. Local communities have alreadybeen informed. “However, others may optto move to areas in the interior where theycan receive protection and assistance. Weare here to support the Government,” saysBalde. Currently, there are nearly 13,000registered Liberian refugees residing inGuinea.

The likelihood that a mass influxwould create the opportunity for armedelements to infiltrate border counties cre-

ates an imperative to secure these areasboth for the benefit of civilians andhumanitarian workers. Armed elements ofany nationality will be separated and dealtwith according to the Contingency Plan.

Various organizations have alreadybeen identified for support in vital sectorssuch as shelter, food, and water and sanita-tion (WATSAN). “Relief items, includingfood and non food items have also beenprepositioned in the border areas,” saysRepresentative Coly. World Food

Programme will be responsible for foodwhile UNICEF is the lead agency forWATSAN, nutrition and education, andwill support UNHCR and World HealthOrganization (WHO) in protection andhealth. The WHO is the coordinatingagency for the health and nutrition sector.There are many other actors with definedroles.

At a recent press briefing in Monrovia,UNMIL Force Commander, Lt.-Gen.Sikander Afzal, reassured Liberians thatthere are no external threats to the country.

“We have a comprehensive mechanism inwhich we regularly have meetings with thesecurity agencies of Sierra Leone, Guineaand Côte d’Ivoire,” he pointed out. As thepolitical situation in Guinea and Côted’Ivoire continues to remain uncertain,humanitarian and security actors say thebest scenario is that there are no disrup-tions leading to population influxes intoLiberia.

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Border patrol in progress


Inside the high walls at theMonrovia Central Prison (MCP),inmates make distress calls toalmost everybody who enters thepremises. “Papay, I want talk to

you,” requests one young man behindbars. “Boss man, please give me some-thing,” begs another on top of his voicefrom one of the prison blocks.

Among the detainees, 16-year-oldJohn (not his real name) has been in deten-tion for more than five months withouttrial. “They brought me here because oneboy lied that I bought an item from himthat he had stolen,” he explains. Onlymany months after his detention did aprison supervisor discover that the juve-nile has been living among adult detaineesinstead of a new block with a wing specif-ically for juveniles. “I am really suffering.They only give us small gari in the morn-ing and small rice in the evening. I amsick. I am in prison for nothing,” Johnlaments.

Human rights activists say dozens ofLiberians are languishing behind bars for

very flimsy reasons. At the Monroviaprison, a magisterial fast track court hasbeen established to expedite cases of pro-longed pre-trial detention. When UNFOCUS visited the prison, the court was insession and some prisoners had just beenfreed. The court sessions have so farreviewed more than 2,300 cases andreleased more than 800 detainees chargedfor minor offences since its inception ayear ago. On 22 February, MCP had 714pre-trial detainees in custody including670 adult males and 29 juvenile males,and 14 adult females and one juvenilefemale.

Many observers say MCP, which wascompletely destroyed during Liberia’scivil war, has greatly improved since 2005with the support of the United NationsMission in Liberia (UNMIL). However,although much has been done, mammothchallenges remain in Liberia’s prisons.Augustine Toe, the Executive Director ofthe Catholic Justice and PeaceCommission, describes the situation in thecountry’s prisons as “horrible”, and indi-

cates that calling them Correction facilitiesis a misnomer. “There is nothing called“corrections” happening here. What wehave are mere detention centres. What arethey correcting?” Toe argues that theessence of sending people to prison is torehabilitate and make them better persons.“But people are sent to prison; they spendmonths and years, come out commit crimeand are sent to prison again. The wholething we have is a vicious circle.”

Correctional service is an integral partof the criminal justice system. It has a keyrole in the protection of society throughthe provision of safe, secure and humanecontrol of prisoners. Marjo Callaghan, thehead of UNMIL’s Corrections AdvisoryUnit, says: “Look at the priorities of theGovernment. Everything needs every-thing. Where do you put your money?Where do you put your attention?”

Currently there are 11 prison facilitiesin Liberia. “When we arrived here therewere only the Kakata and Harbel prisons.We reopened all the other facilities in col-laboration with our partners and madethem a bit habitable,” says Callaghan,adding that UNMIL has continued to assistLiberia’s Bureau of Corrections andRehabilitation to refurbish and build cor-rections facilities across the countrythrough funds from UNMIL’s QuickImpact Projects, UNHCR, and govern-ments like the USA, Canada and Norway.UNDP, ICRC, WFP, and PrisonFellowship, among others, have also pro-vided assistance.

Due to the weaknesses in the criminaljustice system, the majority of prisonersare in pre-trial detention. “Eighty five percent of the prisoner population is in pre-trial detention,” says Callaghan. Withovercrowded facilities, prison breaks arenot uncommon. “From January to June2009, nine prison breaks occurred inLiberia, some of which were violent andresulted in the mass escape of inmates,”states a recently released Report on theHuman Rights Situation in Liberia. InMay 2009, 32 prisoners escaped fromMCP; three officers allegedly conspired tofacilitate the escape. In Maryland County,34 out of 36 inmates were set free by amob who forced their way into HarperCentral Prison in June 2009 to attack aman suspected of killing a 27-year-old

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man. The prison was seriously damagedduring the attacks leaving it not secureenough to hold detainees. “Prison escapesprevent justice from being delivered.Victims are also at risk of intimidation bysuspects who have escaped,” states thehuman rights report. At MCP, securityseems to have relatively improved. “Therehas been no security incidents since wedeployed here six months ago,” says Lt.Ibraheem Al-khaled, commander ofUNMIL’s Jordanian platoon guarding theprison.

Prison reform, prison monitoring, andtraining and development of personnel arethe principal areas of UNMIL’s assistance.In collaboration with national and interna-tional stakeholders, UNMIL’s CorrectionsAdvisory Unit has also helped design aPenal Reform Development Plan that willguide the medium and long-term develop-ment of the Liberian Corrections system.As a way of correcting Corrections,Counsellor Toe suggests that the Ministryof Justice should design a well coordinat-ed programme which should include reha-bilitation.

Bureau of Corrections andRehabilitation (BCR) authorities say reha-bilitation programs are now being imple-mented in corrections facilities. UNMIL’sCorrections Advisor Suraj Olarinde saysthe UN Mission supported the BCR indeveloping a three-year strategic plan forprisoners’ rehabilitation activities. InZwedru, two UNMIL CorrectionsAdvisers with expertise in agriculture aredeployed to provide technical support tothe Corrections’ agriculture pilot projecton a 10-acre land inside the premises.

Also, a consultant has been assigned toBCR by the Ministry of Justice with pri-mary focus on assisting with the develop-ment and implementation of rehabilitationprograms for inmates. At its strategic plan-ning retreat in January 2009, the Ministryof Justice identified Corrections as one ofthe five areas for immediate and sustainedattention.

Callaghan says UNMIL’s presence hasraised the profile of Corrections but notesthat there are huge capacity and securityissues to be addressed. “There is still a lotof work to do.”

SM


Aclearing on a hillock overlookingpicturesque jungle in northeasternLiberia is a hive of activity, as

dozens of workers with hammers andnails, buckets of cement and cementblocks set about constructing the first pur-pose-built prison in Sanniquellie, the capi-tal of Nimba County.

Not far away, amidst stacks of cementblocks, high-tension steel rods and otherconstruction material, two men are busytending pots simmering with the mid-daymeal for the workers. A hoarding withdetails of the project and implementingpartners, towers over the men. The prisoncomplex is being constructed by theUnited Nations in Liberia to supportLiberia’s Ministry of Justice. The projectis a result of a joint initiative by the UNMission in Liberia (UNMIL) and theMinistry of Justice and is being construct-ed under a contract by the United NationsOffice of Project Services with an almostUS$ 1 million grant provided by the UNPeacebuilding Fund (UN PBF). The proj-ect also includes the recruitment and train-ing of 50 Corrections Officers (20 forSanniquellie, 30 for Monrovia CentralPrison), and the provision of securityequipment and other logistics support.

The new prison will replace an ageingand cramped warehouse-turned-prisonfacility that has for years served as theonly holding facility for prisoners in thecity. It stands in the middle of an enclosureprotected by barbed-wire and has a smallarea for recreation facilities. Prison breaksoccurred often, as prisoners were able toeasily cut through the barbed wire encir-cling the compound.

Not built to be used as a prison, the

complex also lacked basic facilities. Over100 prisoners, including seven women andfive juveniles, are currently cramped intothe warehouse that is divided into holdingcells meant to house 25. Until recently, thepremises had no running water, function-ing sanitation facilities or kitchen. Onlytwo of the six toilets are functioning. Toalleviate the water problem, a hand pumphas been sunk within the facility through ajoint initiative of the Danish Red Cross,the Nimba chapter of the Red Cross andthe Prison.

The new prison is set in a twelve-and-a-half acre plot of land not too far from thecity centre. It will be more secure, andhave a series of airy and spacious cells thatare designed to comfortably hold 72 pris-oners. There will be running water andseveral toilets for use by inmates andprison officials. It will also have a separatebuilding that will serve as a kitchen.

The UN is also training 20 new correc-tions officers to strengthen the nine-manstaff at the facility. The new officers havecommenced a six-month training pro-gramme, which includes a month of on-the-job training in Sanniquellie.

The prison complex and training forprison officers is part of a wider effort bythe UN in Liberia to support theGovernment of Liberia develop its correc-tions and judicial facilities. The UN is con-structing buildings to house courts, pro-viding equipment and vehicles, and offer-ing training as part of its support toLiberia’s judiciary.

By Rukshan Ratnam and Magdalene Matthews

Sanniquellie Gets New Prison


Lack of clear and explicit lawsthat translate policy into alegislative framework hasdogged governance in Liberiafor a long time. Developing

and enacting a revised legal frameworkthat addresses the weaknesses of past gov-ernance is very much the need of the hour.

At the onset of Liberia’s first post-con-flict government in January 2006, mostelected members of the 52nd NationalLegislature, including their staff, werequite new to that august body. Besides, theLegislature lacks the requisite legislativesupport bureaus to adequately facilitatetheir work, including an archives section, alibrary, a research bureau, and a draftingsection.

To address these deficiencies and tostrengthen the lawmaking capacity of theNational Legislature based on its strategic

plan, the UN Mission in Liberia’s(UNMIL) Legal & Judicial SystemsSupport Division (LJSSD) and the JointLegislative Modernization Committeeidentified several priorities for the body.

To strengthen the lawmaking pillar,one of five pillars of the Legislature’sstrategic plan, the Government of Liberia,the UN and the United Kingdom’sDepartment for InternationalDevelopment (UK-DFID) jointly support-ed a 10-day intensive Legislative DraftingCourse from 1-10 December 2009 facili-tated by the United Kingdom-RoyalInstitute of Public Administration (UK-RIPA) in collaboration with the LiberiaInstitute of Public Administration (LIPA).Twenty-one persons from the Legislativeand Executive branches of government aswell as UNMIL, UNDP, and UNICEF par-ticipated in the workshop with the overall

objective to enact better laws. Deputy Special Representative of the

Secretary-General for the Rule of Law,Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, reminded partici-pants that as Liberia is still recoveringfrom its conflict, there is a need to ensurethat laws that are enacted by the NationalLegislature play a significant role in pro-moting peace and reconciliation as well asin attracting the necessary investment forthe country’s economic growth.

“The Legislature has a crucial role toplay in the promotion of good governanceand the rule of law in any democracy. Ithas in its hand the power to either advanceor impede the interests of the people,” shepointed out, adding that it is because ofthis that the UN in Liberia is supporting,and will continue to support, the LiberianGovernment, including the NationalLegislature with initiatives to build institu-

Grand Kru County Junior Senator Blamo Nelson make remarks at the opening of the Legislative Drafting Course

Building Skills of Leg


tional and operational capacity.The British Government

Representative, Gillian Dare, whose gov-ernment sponsored the training throughthe UK-DFID, expressed her satisfactionthat the participants in the course repre-sented a cross section of two branches ofgovernment who are responsible in someway for ensuring that Liberia passes lawswhich will provide the framework for afair and just society based on equalitybefore the law, the protection of rights andspelling out of responsibilities. Shereminded the participants of the phenome-nal task before them – identifying conflict-ing legislation, proposing repeal of outdat-ed laws and initiating amendments to oth-ers to bring Liberia’s laws up to interna-tional standards.

Grand Kru County Senator BlamoNelson, representing the National

Legislature, highlighted the herculeanchallenge at the National Legislature ofthe need to amend or repeal many old lawswhile at the same time write new lawsusing 21st century diction. He hoped thatas time goes by, courses could be intro-duced at various universities on legislativedrafting so that students in law, govern-ment and even lawmakers could benefit.

Chief facilitator Roger Rose, anEnglish barrister with nearly 40 yearsexperience in legislative drafting, remind-ed the participants that to be a full effec-tive drafter one has to spend eight to tenyears full time practicing the skill. “Nottoo much must be expected of the group of21 persons who have spent just two weekslooking at some of fundamentals of it,” hecautioned. During the 10-day training, par-ticipants reviewed the basic fundamentalsof drafting legislations focusing on theessentials which are needed to constructclear, concise and unambiguous legislativesentences.

The Deputy Director of the LegislativeDrafting Section, Ophelia Browne,expressed the participants’ gratitude for

the knowledge acquired. She conceded,“We must be blunt here that this is some-thing that we didn’t know. We sometimesthought what we did was the right thing;but now we’ve gotten to know where toput our “must”, “or”, “and”, or “may.” Weneeded this.” Nine legislative staffers par-ticipated in the training.

Besides this training, two Legislativestaff recently returned from the UnitedKingdom where they underwent a seven-week training course in LegislativeDrafting at the UK-RIPA. Shortly, twoother legislative staff members are expect-ed to undergo a two-month training coursein Parliamentary Procedure and Researchat the House of Commons in the UnitedKingdom.

Already, UNMIL’s LJSSD and QuickImpact Project have begun workingtowards refurbishing and equipping a newLegislative Drafting Office at the CapitolBuilding to host the newly trained legisla-tive staff.

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British Government Representative Gillian Dare presents certificate to a participant

islative Staffers

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It has been some six months since youjoined UNMIL as Deputy SRSG withprincipal focus on recovery and gover-nance. How far has Liberia come inrecovering from the devastation causedby the civil war?

I have travelled extensively inLiberia’s counties since I arrived to get agood sense of what is going on. Even aftersix months, it would be presumptuous tosay that I know everything. But from whatI have seen so far, Liberia is recoveringvery well and the country has made verysignificant progress towards recovery anddevelopment.

First of all, security has vastlyimproved. Today, we have an ArmedForces of Liberia, with approximately2,200 personnel, and the Liberia NationalPolice, which is about 3, 800 in strength.Prisons and Corrections Centers have beenbuilt, and more are being built, to strength-en the Justice system.

There is also economic growth.Liberia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)increased from 2.4 per cent per annum to7.1 per cent between 2004 and 2008, fromabout US$575 million to US$746 milliontoday. The real GDP per capita hasincreased from US$225 to US$390.

The World Bank Doing Business 2010Report named Liberia as the second-fastest reforming economy in the region.Looking at the infrastructure, such asroads and bridges being built, there is animpressive turn-around for Liberia mov-ing from emergency to recovery and

development. Of course, UNMIL and theUN system have played an important rolein that.

Poor governance in the past is consid-ered one of the major reasons behindLiberia’s civil crisis. How do you seegovernance in Liberia turning awayfrom the past?

Good governance is a long termprocess. Corruption has been identified bythe President as a significant impedimentto development. Government officials andministers have been suspended on allega-tions of corruption to enable investigationsto take place. Institutions are being built tosupport the drive against corruption. TheLiberia Anti-Corruption Commission hasbeen established and is operational.Regular auditing is in place for all themajor ministries and government entitiesand the General Auditing Commission isalso operational and independent fromGovernment.

Of course there are challenges.Investigations into corruption allegationscan take time, and that is an issue of capac-ity. Many of Liberia’s institutions are notyet fully operational because they still lackcapacity. UNMIL and the other UN agen-cies, funds and programmes are focusedon developing capacity across theGovernment, but there is a considerableway to go.

Transforming from many years of vio-lence and lawlessness and dictatorship

““DDeemmooccrraaccyy iiss ttaakkiinnggrroooott iinn LLiibbeerriiaa……””

IN CONVERSATION: MOUSTAPHA SOUMARÉ’

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into a democracy can be a very slow anddifficult process. How is Liberia faring?Is democracy taking root?

Democracy is certainly taking root inLiberia. Like good governance, democra-cy is also a long-term process. It alsoimplies patience and a change of mindset.I can see that accountability is being estab-lished strongly in the country. There is ahigh degree of freedom of expression, evi-denced by the number of newspapers andtheir content. People can literally writeanything in the newspapers - which I thinkshouldn’t be always the case. The mediahas a social responsibility not to exploitfreedom of expression, particularly whenthe consequences could have serious secu-

rity implications, as is the case in Liberia. Our work with the Legislature and

other branches of the Government contin-ues to focus on the consolidation ofdemocracy and to build the capacity ofthese institutions in laying solid founda-tions for sustainable democracy.

Of course, there are some challenges.One of the big challenges for strengthen-ing democracy is the weak capacity ofinstitutions. That’s why we in the UN sys-tem are supporting the government’sefforts in capacity building. We are alsotrying to bring together a coalition ofdonors to support long-term capacitybuilding.

Although the economy is improving, ithas yet to create enough jobs.Unemployment is far too high and thiscould threaten the democratic process.That is why one of the UN’s joint pro-grammes is aimed at tackling youth unem-ployment.

Many observers feel that the comingelections in 2011 will be critical in deter-mining the future of Liberia’s democra-cy. What is the United Nations doing toensure that the next elections are fair,transparent and peaceful?

Security Council Resolution 1885mandates UNMIL to support the electoralprocess and coordinate international elec-toral assistance while creating an environ-ment that enables free, fair, transparentand peaceful elections. The internationalcommunity sees the coming elections asan important milestone for the whole dem-ocratic process and peace consolidation inthe country.

The elections will be run by theNational Elections Commission (NEC) ofLiberia itself. Our role is to strengthen thecapacities of the NEC to manage and con-duct the elections and to provide necessarylogistical support. Since elections are cost-ly and the government has budgetary diffi-culties, the international community isalso helping the government to mobilizeresources. Already a donor group has beenconvened, with close collaboration withNEC, and a framework will be in place fordonors to contribute. As per the SecurityCouncil mandate, UNMIL and the UNSystem are working with the Governmentand NEC to mobilize over US$ 38 million

which is required for the electoral cycle.

As the UN Mission eventually closesdown, UN agencies, such as UNDP, ofwhich you are the Coordinator inLiberia, will need to take on additionalresponsibilities. How do you envisageUNDP’s role in Liberia once the Missiondraws down?

UNMIL is a good example of an inte-grated mission, with peacekeeping, recov-ery and development components all inter-woven. Here we have an IntegratedStrategic Framework, the United NationsDevelopment Assistance Framework(UNDAF). Security, rule of law and devel-opment are all important elements of thisframework, as are the benchmarks fordrawdown of the mission.

We are already preparing ourselves forthe transition. A big chunk of UNMIL’smandate will be transferred to the govern-ment. The remaining parts will transfer toUN agencies, programmes and funds, restof the UN System and civil society. Thegovernment is taking the lead in the transi-tion and is establishing a task force for thepurpose.

The UN family in Liberia has alreadyadopted the “One UN” concept. PresidentEllen Johnson-Sirleaf is keen to seeLiberia as a self-starter “One UN” country.This is very encouraging and shows strongleadership and ownership from the gov-ernment.

The transition will be managed so thatpeople will see UNMIL leave but notafraid because they know that systems arein place to meet the challenges ahead. Butmost importantly, the government willtake the ownership of things on theground.

But everything hinges on how the 2011elections go? If something goes wrongthen we’re back to square one?

We are all very optimistic. From whatwe see there’s nothing to tell us that some-thing will go wrong. We are hopeful that2011 is going to consolidate peace anddemocracy in the country.

Thank you.


Representative of the Secretary-Generalfor Rule of Law Henrietta Mensa-Bonsulaunched the report at UNMIL headquar-ters in Monrovia. The report draws frommonitoring conducted by Human RightsOfficers deployed in each of Liberia’s 15counties.

Cases of rape and other sexual crimes,especially against the girl child, are stillcommon. Between 1 January and 8 June

2009, UN Police recorded 267 reports ofrape. However, many cases are believed togo unreported. “In January, a high profilepolitician was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl who he employed as a housemaid.The incident was reported to theBrewerville LNP station in MontserradoCounty. HRPS and UNMIL’s Office of theGender Adviser, in collaboration with a

local NGO, helped to get the victim, whowas in a critical condition, to a healthfacility. The LNP did not investigate thecase fully, nor was the suspect arrested.Other allegations of rape involving per-sonalities of high standing that were notpursued were reported in GbarpoluCounty, where the alleged perpetrator wasa school principal, and in Sinoe Countywhere the alleged perpetrator was animmigration officer.”

The report says the situation of chil-dren in many orphanages is still dire. In 18orphanages visited in Grand Bassa, Bomi,Montserrado, Nimba and Lofa Counties, itwas observed that living conditions andthe quality of care and protection providedwere generally poor. Parents reportedlysurrendered their children to live inorphanages encouraged by false promisesof education and better living conditions.

Allegations of misconduct within theLiberian National Police (LNP) are alsoamong the human rights abuses describedin the report, covering January to June2009. Twenty allegations of serious policemisconduct were reported to HRPS, of

Mensa-Bonsu addresses the media at the launch of the report


Although much has beenachieved, there are still sig-nificant gaps in humanrights protection in Liberia,according to a recent

Report on the Human Rights Situation inLiberia issued by the United NationsMission in Liberia (UNMIL).

The report, produced by the Mission’sHuman Rights and Protection Section

(HRPS), draws attention to human rightsviolations and abuses based on systematicverification and documentation, and high-lights efforts and progress made by theLiberian government to address chal-lenges. It also outlines activities UNMILhas undertaken in support of theGovernment’s efforts to promote and pro-tect human rights. Deputy Special

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which 13 cases were of police brutality,theft or extortion. In March 2009 about 30youths representing various youth groupsand members of the community held apeaceful protest against police brutalityand arbitrary detention in Tubmanburg andcalled for the removal of the LNP CountyCommander, states the report.

The enactment of the amendments tothe Act establishing the IndependentNational Commission on Human Rights(INCHR) is considered as a major devel-opment in the reporting period. TheINCHR is crucial to establishing accessi-ble long-term human rights presence inLiberia, and is mandated to follow up onimplementation of the Truth andReconciliation Commission’s recommen-dations.

The number of police officers withforensic training was augmented with thetraining of 17 LNP officers including twofemales. The report further states that thenumber of police officers deployed outsideMonrovia increased and several police sta-tions were rehabilitated. A Sexual andGender Based Violent Crimes Unit wasestablished within the Ministry of Justiceto monitor SGBV investigations and toprosecute criminal cases arising from inci-dents, as well as to provide support to vic-tims.

A major challenge facing the justice

system in Liberia is the large number ofdetainees held in pre-trial detention forprolonged periods in violation of humanrights standards. The holding cells areoften overcrowded rendering themdeplorable and unhygienic. “At theMonrovia Central Prison (MCP) inMontserrado County, a rotationalMagisterial Court was established at thepremises to address cases of prolongedpre-trial detention. Since commencingwork in February 2009, the Court has

reviewed 1,470 cases and released 472detainees. With the establishment of therotational Court, the prison population atMCP which averaged about 900 inmatesdropped to an average of about 680inmates,” states the report.

Among other things, the report recom-mends that the Government of Liberiashould continue to work towards the fullimplementation of the recommendationscontained in UNMIL’s previous reports on

human rights. It also recommends thatorphanages be made to conform to theMinimum Standards for Operating ChildWelfare Institutions and those that do notshould be closed. “Children with a livingparent or parents or relatives should bereunified with them and those withoutshould be placed with approved orphan-ages.”

UNMIL continues to supportGovernment’s efforts to promote and pro-tect human rights through its activities

including, monitoring and reporting onhuman rights concerns, human rightstraining at various government institu-tions, and awareness activities in commu-nities and schools through establishedHuman Rights Clubs. It also providestechnical support to Ministries of Justice,Education, Labour and Health and SocialWelfare as well as the Legislature and col-laborates with civil society organisationson various human rights projects.

SM

TThhee nnuummbbeerr ooff ppoolliiccee ooffffiicceerrss wwiitthh ffoorreennssiicc ttrraaiinniinngg wwaassaauuggmmeenntteedd wwiitthh tthhee ttrraaiinniinngg ooff 1177 LLNNPP ooffffiicceerrss iinncclluuddiinnggttwwoo ffeemmaalleess.. TThhee rreeppoorrtt ffuurrtthheerr ssttaatteess tthhaatt tthhee nnuummbbeerr ooffppoolliiccee ooffffiicceerrss ddeeppllooyyeedd oouuttssiiddee MMoonnrroovviiaa iinnccrreeaasseedd aannddsseevveerraall ppoolliiccee ssttaattiioonnss wweerree rreehhaabbiilliittaatteedd..

awareness of the need to report such casesto the police and to discourage private set-tlements which only end up promoting re-offending,” Mensa-Bonsu stressed. In sup-porting the journalists, the Ministry ofGender and Development collaborated

with UNMIL’s Public Information andorganized two media workshops inMonrovia and Ganta in February 2009.

The president of JASAGBV, Lawrence


At a press briefing in June2008, Liberia’s media prac-titioners asked DeputySpecial Representative ofthe Secretary-General for

Rule of Law Henrietta Mensa-Bonsuabout what the UN Mission in Liberia(UNMIL) was doing to stop the scourge ofrape in the country. Elaborating onUNMIL’s efforts in support of theGovernment, the deputy UN envoy thenturned the question around: “What are youdoing? What have you done with theinstruments at your disposal?”

In January and February alone of2008, out of nearly 200 rape cases, 17involved infants of five years and below. Aspecial plea was made to journalists to bepartners in efforts to prevent or stop themenace. Nearly two years after,Journalists Against Sexual and Gender-

based Violence (JASAGBV) came togeth-er in February this year, to mark the firstanniversary of their association formed notonly to fight rape but also other forms ofSexual and Gender-based Violence(SGBV).

Rape and other forms of SGBV arestill the most frequently committed seriouscrimes in Liberia, according to official sta-tistics. SGBV dehumanizes women and

children in homes, families and in commu-nities. The terrible effects do not affect thevictims alone, but often an entire family,and create fear and insecurity in the com-munity. Under the theme “Together WeWill Report”, the journalists marked theanniversary with weeklong activities suchas discussions on radio, television, visits tohigh schools and sporting events.

“The fact that you are all here after ayear of sustained reporting on this issuetells me that you are ready and willing tocontinue on this complex journey of fight-ing SGBV,” Mensa-Bonsu said at theanniversary celebration. She noted that thefirst year of the life of any association isoften the most delicate for its survival andcongratulated the media practitioners formaking it to the first milestone.

In the Report on Rape sponsored bythe UN Response to Rape Group that wasreleased last December, respondents fromSinoe and Grand Gedeh reported the high-est number of known rape incidents. “Yet,only 12.5% of the known cases were everreported to the police. You thus have amajor role to play in creating public

Journalists Unite Against

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President of JASAGBV, Lawrence Fahnbulleh greets DSRSG Mensa-Bonsu


M. Fahnbulleh, said they came together tostand against rape but expanded theirscope to include all forms of SGBV. Theindependent association is however con-tending with many challenges. “This

organization does not have an office spacebut squatting at the press union office,”said Fahnbulleh, appealing to the UN,NGOs, and others for assistance. SamZota, JASAGBV vice president, saysfunding to undertake activities is mainlythrough personal contributions of the asso-ciation’s members. Pointing out that mem-bers rely on public transport, Zota said oneof their urgent needs is transportation toreach out to communities in Monrovia and

the counties.As the media practitioners plan to

extend the sensitization exercise nation-wide, the Executive Director of theCatholic Justice and Peace Commission,

Cllr. Augustine Toe, has urged the journal-ists not to focus their advocacy only onreporting but should go beyond to educatethe public. The civil society activist saysthere are 90 persons detained at theMonrovia Central Prison over rape allega-tions but cases cannot proceed to courtbecause of lack of evidence. “The prose-cutor cannot do magic. The prosecutor canonly do a successful job if the evidence isproperly collected, preserved and present-ed in court,” says Toe.

Various speakers including Liberia’sPress Union president Peter Quaqua laud-ed the journalists for their efforts. “Some SGBV

of us grew up in an environment where wesaw women and girls being abused. Whenyou see these things on a daily basis, youtend to think it is ok. This is unaccept-able,” said T. Nelson Williams, II founderand president of the Servants of All PrayerAssembly, who is also the ManagingDirector of the Liberia Petroleum RefineryCompany.

Last year, a Sexual and Gender BasedViolent Crimes Unit was established with-in the Ministry of Justice to monitorSGBV investigations, prosecute criminalcases arising from incidents of SGBV, andto provide support to victims. A dedicatedcourt was also inaugurated in Monrovia todeal with SGBV crimes. With the supportof UN Police, the Liberian National Policeis also working at improving its investiga-tive skills and evidence-gathering tech-niques.

Assuring JASAGBV members that theUN family remains fully committed tosupporting their association, Mensa-Bonsuexpressed optimism about the battleagainst SGBV. “It is my fervent convictionthat our combined efforts in this cause willyield dividends. I look forward to the daywhen we can all gather to celebrate thecomplete eradication of this menace fromour midst.”

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Platform guests including the DSRSG Mensa-Bonsu at the programme


Come next academic year,Liberian children livingalong the border withGuinea who have never hadthe opportunity to sit in a

classroom will be finding their way to ahigh quality school free of charge.

The United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) is supporting the Ministry ofEducation (MOE) to construct the facilityin Ganta, Nimba County, on the borderwith Guinea. The school, which will caterto primary and junior secondary students,will consist of a playground, a laboratory,water and sanitation facilities, solar powerand computers with internet access as well

as community radio and a school-basedmobile clinic. It will also have a citizenhall where local residents can conductmeetings and events. “There is only onepublic school in Ganta. The others areeither private, mission or concession,”says John Sumo of UNICEF, pointing outthat there are still many Liberian childrenout of school.

The Learning Along Borders forLiving Across Boundaries (LAB-LAB)initiative focuses on high quality schoolconstruction as one of the components ofchild-friendly approach to schooling.Since the civil war ended, educationexperts say there are children living across

Liberia’s borders who are yet to returnhome because of the lack of educationalfacility in their areas. The aim of the LAB-LAB initiative is to provide quality educa-tion that is community oriented and childfriendly; cement the peace that is prevail-ing in Liberia and her neighbours; and pre-vent border communities from beingmanipulated into conflict and to sharedevelopment.

During Liberia’s civil crisis, educationwas severely affected. Many children whoshould have been busy with pens and pen-cils instead carried Kalashnikovs. With therestoration of peace, getting children backin school has been a daunting task. Added

Learning along bor


to Ganta, six more border schools will bebuilt in Harper, Maryland; Zwedru inGrand Gedeh; Garmu in Bong; andZorzor, Voinjama and Foya in LofaCounty.

In her January 2010 annual message tothe Fifth Session of the 52nd NationalLegislature, President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf said the revival of the educationsystem is reflected in increasing nationalenrollment, which now stands at 1.4 mil-lion, representing an 11 per cent increaseover the previous year at 1.3 million. Pre-primary enrollment is estimated at550,000. Primary enrollment is estimatedat 605,000 and secondary enrollment at182,874. The Liberian leader said the firstof “The Learning Along Border Schools”,is intended to enhance peace and securityat border crossing points with SierraLeone, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea.

“We are very much happy about thisschool. We want to capture all childrenwho are not in school,” says HesterWilliams Catakaw, Deputy Minister forInstructions, pointing out that it is in theinterest of not only the children of NimbaCounty but for children of sister countriesliving along border areas.

At the construction site, techniciansare busy at work with sounds of machinesall around. Four big classroom structuresand other buildings using hydroformbrick-making machines now stand on thepiece of land which previously was allbush. Sam V. Menwoe, the local technicalsupervisor, says the project construction

started in June 2009 but will be ready inearly 2010. Limited competency amonglocal contractors remains one of the chal-lenges of building construction in post-warLiberia.

Once completed, UNICEF will furnishthe structures before handing over to theMOE to run. Deputy Minister Catakawsays the ministry has already identified aprincipal and teachers for the school. Theteachers are undergoing special ChildFriendly School training with PeaceEducation as part of the curriculum.UNICEF says the first phase of the projectwill be from primary level and as the chil-dren graduate, they will be the first to enterthe secondary school.

Further to the LAB-LAB project,UNICEF is currently supporting theLiberian government with renovation offive schools in Gbarpolu, Lofa and Nimbacounties. Sumo says UNICEF will bedoing more construction in the comingyears. “Between now and 2012, we expectto construct about 100 schools and rehabil-itate more than 100 others,” he says.Before the end of every year, UNICEF andMOE officials draw up a work plan.UNICEF, which also provides “bookbags” with stationeries to all first gradersentering public schools, provides fundingand technical assistance.

Added to UNICEF and other partners,the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) hasalso been providing support to Liberia’seducation sector through the constructionand rehabilitation of schools. Somepeacekeepers are actively volunteering toteach in some schools, especially sciencesubjects that lack competent teachers.UNMIL peacekeeping engineers have alsohelped to clear and level school construc-tion sites.

“It was in this county that the civil warstarted in 1989, so we are very muchhappy about this border school. If our chil-dren are educated, nobody will give themarms to kill their own people,” says a visi-bly delighted resident of Nimba. SierraLeone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire are alsobeneficiaries of the LAB-LAB project.

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School under construction in Ganta

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Motorcycles, or “pen-pen” as they are popu-larly known in Liberia,are ubiquitous acrossthe country. Although

slightly more expensive than a taxi ride,“pen-pen” a popular choice for commutersbecause, unlike taxis, they drop you atyour door step or wherever you want tobeyond the normal taxi routes. However,majority of the riders of these often ricketycontraptions are young, most of themeither ex-combatants or affected by thecivil war in other ways. Compounding thisinformal taxi industry is that most driversdo not have any formal training in drivingand lack familiarity with traffic rules.

Commercial motorcyclists now consti-tute a hefty fraction of public transporta-tion in Liberia. They are seen all over thecountry transporting commuters to variousdestinations - work, school, market, andeven making risky journeys to rural areaswhere most roads are virtually impassable

to vehicular traffic.In an effort to improve the informal

motorcycle transport sector in the country,and at the same time support the socio-economic reintegration of hundreds ofhigh-risks youth, about 1,500 commercialmotorcyclists nationwide are benefittingfrom training in road traffic regulations,conflict resolution and psycho-socialcounseling.

The United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and the UN Missionin Liberia (UNMIL) are partnering withthe Liberian Government, the YoungMen’s Christian Association (YMCA) andthe National Motorcycle Union (NMU) toimplement the pilot project. The UNDPhas made available US$250,000 throughthe “Peace Building Fund”, while YMCA-Liberia, responsible for the overall imple-mentation of the project, is contributingUS$150,000.

The trainings in Tubmanburg andGbarnga concluded by the end of 2009,

but continue in 2010 in Kakata, Zwedru,Greenville and Monrovia. The exercise,targeting this fast growing informal trans-port sector, now a major avenue for youthemployment, is also addressing risky situ-ations that often lead to public disorder insome of these communities.

In most parts of Liberia commutersbelieve travelling by “pen-pen” is thefastest mode of transportation. Even in thecapital city, Monrovia, “pen-pens” snaketheir way through the traffic most timesviolating traffic rules and using unautho-rized routes to get to their destinations.Not surprisingly, they constitute one of themajor causes of road accidents in thecountry. The UNDP/YMCA-Liberia PeaceBuilding Fund Project Manager, T. MartinAllen, says statistics from the John F.Kennedy Hospital and other referral hospi-tals across the country show that 65 percent of all accident cases are those causedby motorcycles.

The trainings are intended to change

“Pen-Pen Riders” Be


all of these. The selected commercialmotorcyclists are being given classroomand practical lessons in traffic regulationsand road safety measures by authorities ofthe Liberia National Police (LNP) support-ed by the UN Police (UNPOL).

At the end of the training, a test is con-ducted and successful candidates are giventwo helmets, a pair of gloves, and a reflec-tive safety jacket by the facilitators. Theyare given a driver’s license by the Ministryof Transport to operate as a certifiedmotorcycle taxi driver. They are howeverrequested to register their motorbikes withthe transport ministry and given a licenseplate.

In Bong County’s capital, Gbarnga,Mark Kangoma, now a sixth grade studentat a local school who rides his “pen-pen”after classes, is thrilled with what he hadlearned over the one week exercise.“Before now, I had no idea of traffic rulesand regulations that I needed to abide bywhen riding my motorcycle. Now I know,

I’ll learn to abide by them to ensure mysafety and that of my passengers,”Kangoma, one of 445 commercial motor-cyclists who took part in the training, said.

Implementing the 18-month project,YMCA-Liberia is also using the opportu-nity to train the targeted group in conflictresolution to enable them develop mecha-nisms for resolving conflicts among them-selves, between them and law enforcementagencies and the larger community.YMCA-Liberia also provides the partici-pants with education on HIV/Aids.

“We encourage commercial motorcy-clists to ensure that they and their passen-gers wear their safety helmets whenthey’re on the bikes and adhere to the traf-fic rules” says Allen. “They need to ensuresafety first and not money. Making moneyand not ensuring safety, making moneyand not having peace will not carry us any-where.”

At the Tubmanburg and Gbarnga train-ing sessions only six female motorcyclists

participated. It is hoped that more women“pen-pen drivers” would take advantage ofthis training opportunity.

The motorcyclists, now constitutedinto a national association, with variousbranches around the country, are over-whelmed by the training opportunity. Thepresident of the over 4,000-member BongCounty Motorcycle Association is thrilledwith the training his members got as aresult of the pilot project. Sam Elliot saidhe is extremely grateful to all the partnersfor such an enlightening programmewhich he considers went “very successful-ly”. “It has enlightened us on the issues ofpeace, reconciliation and the rule of law. Ithas built our capacity and has establisheda cordial relationship between us and lawenforcement officers,” he said.

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“Pen-pen” is a popular mode of transport

enefit From Training


Liberia’s first MillenniumVillages Project (MVP), inKokoyah District, is gradual-ly taking shape. The UnitedNations Development

Programme (UNDP) in partnership withthe Government of Liberia, the regionalMillennium Development Goals (MDGs)Center in Mali, and the Government ofNorway, which is offering US$5.4 millionin funding, has begun scaling up activitiesaimed at achieving the MDGs at the dis-trict level within a five-year timeframewhich ends in September 2013.

Kokoyah District, in south-easternBong County, borders Grand Bassa andNimba counties. It covers 930 square kilo-meters with a population of nearly 24,000but lacks the basic services necessary tosustain economic growth. In consultationwith the Liberian Government, the UNDP-Liberia chose this district for the first oftwo MVPs. Activities are to be spread outin 40 of the 167 villages and towns inKokoya District. Sabo District, River GeeCounty, in south-eastern Liberia, is the

proposed site for the second village proj-ect.

The MVP in Liberia was formallylaunched in September 2008 but actualimplementation only got underway inJanuary 2009, commencing with series ofcommunity entry-point activities includ-ing community consultation, sensitization,town hall meetings and training work-shops.

The late start, according to theProject’s Manager Stephen Kolee, was dueto securing a field office, getting the rele-vant staff and the needed logistics to workwith. “We’ve got the staff, computers,internet connectivity, vehicles, and motor-bikes. Now that we have all of this in placethis year, we will move with much greaterintensity,” he said.

Highlighting the agricultural sector,Kolee noted that the target was to boostfood security by increasing the productionof Liberia’s staple food crop, rice, throughthe distribution of potentially high-yield-ing, short cycle rice varieties called NewRice for Africa (NERICA), and fertilizers

to smallholder farmers across the district. The project first tested NERICA vari-

eties since it’s relatively new to Liberia’sagro-ecological zone, trained extensionworkers and farmers for their productionbefore it begins distributing certifiedNERICA seeds to farmers for productionpurposes this year. “During 2009, 20national agriculture technicians (includingKokoyah MVP agriculture team members)and 109 farmers selected from across thedistrict were trained on NERICA produc-tion,” Kolee said.

“The project established 18 demon-stration sites (using both lowland andupland ecologies) across the district with39 NERICA rice varieties tested. Six ofthe 18 demonstration sites were planted inApril and harvested early August. Theother 12 sites were set up in Septemberand were recently harvested,” the project’sAgriculture Coordinator, Alex Mulbahtold UN FOCUS. Already, a warehouse isnearing completion to store rice seeds andfertilizers for distribution to smallholderand group farmers as soon as the farming

Millennium Village on An old lady sits by her pot near a fire hearth in Weleta, Kokoya District

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season begins.“I’m so happy with the demonstration

harvest. Imagine me harvesting threetimes in a year; this could make me self-sufficient in a few years,” says an elatedfarmer, Ben Yanyan, who is benefittingfrom the project.

Activities planned for 2010 include thedistribution of 65 metric tons of NERICAand other improved rice varieties alongwith fertilizers to smallholder and groupfarmers who will develop at least 20hectares of lowland for the cultivation ofrice and other food crops. Diversificationof food crop production is also planned.

The project continues to work in part-nership with the Health Ministry toimprove healthcare delivery. In 2009 dur-ing periods of immunization campaigns,the project provided technical and logisti-cal support to the Health Ministry to carryout vaccination campaign across the dis-trict. Staff of the three existing primaryhealth clinics underwent training in healthmanagement information system.Construction has begun on two new pri-

mary health clinics in Rock Crusher andYolo Town. The facilities are expected tobe completed by the end of March 2010.

An ambulance will be bought this yearto provide emergency support to all healthfacilities across the district. There will alsobe training of clinical staff and communi-ty health volunteers in malaria control, andthe promotion of hygiene and communityhealth education. In the education sector,two primary schools will be built and therewill be capacity building programmes forteachers and school administration.

In the water and sanitation (WATSAN)

sector, last year the project conductedtraining workshops for 25 hand pumpmechanics and 25 sanitation promotersselected from communities acrossKokoyah, sensitized communities on effi-cient utilization and management of waterresources, reactivated community-basedWATSAN management committees in 12towns and villages, and rehabilitated facil-ities.

Using the services of 15 of the 25trained hand pump mechanics, the WAT-SAN team repaired 31 damaged communi-ty and institutional hand pumps in 18

towns/villages in the district which helpedto restore safe water supply to over 7,000community residents. The team also intro-duced a ‘cash box’ system (a bankaccount) to which community memberswill make cash donations at regular inter-vals for the maintenance and sustainabilityof WATSAN facilities.

To enhance the rule of law, a policestation is expected to be constructed dur-ing the first half of this year. A communityradio station is also expected to be estab-lished. Kokoyah is to shortly benefit frommobile phone connectivity after seven

sites were identified with three being pri-oritized for the immediate erection of celltowers. This will enable clinic staff inKokoyah to communicate with referralhealth centers and hospitals.

The Millennium Villages project so farhas reached nearly 400,000 people in 79villages across 10 other African countries.Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda,Senegal, Tanzania and Malawi have onevillage each while Mali, Nigeria, Kenyaand Liberia will have two villages each.

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AAccttiivviittiieess ppllaannnneedd ffoorr 22001100 iinncclluuddee tthhee ddiissttrriibbuuttiioonn ooff 6655mmeettrriicc ttoonnss ooff NNEERRIICCAA aanndd ootthheerr iimmpprroovveedd rriiccee vvaarriieettiieessaalloonngg wwiitthh ffeerrttiilliizzeerrss ttoo ssmmaallllhhoollddeerr aanndd ggrroouupp ffaarrmmeerrss wwhhoowwiillll ddeevveelloopp aatt lleeaasstt 2200 hheeccttaarreess ooff lloowwllaanndd eeaacchh ffoorr tthhee ccuull-ttiivvaattiioonn ooff rriiccee aanndd ootthheerr ffoooodd ccrrooppss.. DDiivveerrssiiffiiccaattiioonn ooff ffooooddccrroopp pprroodduuccttiioonn iiss aallssoo ppllaannnneedd..Rice demonstration farm in Mbalorpkalor, Kokoya District

A primary health clinic under construction in Rock Crusher, Kokoya District

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Neatly dressed peacekeepersproudly wearing the blueberets stand at attention inthe Liberian capitalMonrovia as the Foreign

Minister of Africa’s most populous coun-try Nigeria, Chief Ojo Maduekwe,inspects the guard of honour. The soldiersare part of the Nigerian contingent servingwith the United Nations Mission inLiberia.

“Words are not sufficient to state thedebt the entire nation owes to our armedforces in peacekeeping operations all overthe world,” says the Nigerian Minister,addressing the peacekeepers at their CampAbuja base during a two-day official visitto Liberia in January.

Minister Maduekwe hails the soldiersas being “worthy ambassadors” ofNigeria. “The world acknowledges you,the world appreciates you and you have

made your country absolutely proud.” Hefollows the address with the handover of aconsignment of food as gift to the peace-keepers from the Nigerian government.

“I am here to appreciate our troops forthe good work they are doing and toencourage them to continue with the workof contributing to make the world a betterand safer place,” Minister Maduekwe tellsUN FOCUS, adding that his visit is also tostrengthen the bilateral relations betweenLiberia and Nigeria.

Added to their core mandate of provid-ing security in strategic locations, succes-sive Nigerian contingents have beenassisting the local population with the con-struction or rehabilitation of schools,offering free medical services, engaginglocals in agricultural activities, and more.The current contingent’s commander,Brig.-Gen. Ebiobowei Bonna Awala,briefed the ministerial delegation on the

peacekeeping and peacebuilding activitiesof the Nigerian peacekeepers whose cur-rent strength is more than 1,600 troops andofficers.

Since 1990, the oil-rich nation hasbeen instrumental in contributing toLiberia’s peace and stability under theEconomic Community of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS) ceasefire monitoringgroup, ECOMOG, and now with the UNmission. During his visit, the ForeignMinister paid a courtesy call on theSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General, Ellen Margrethe Løj, and alsomet with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.In his discussion with the Liberian leader,the Minister observed that when the rule oflaw and good governance are undermined,other countries must act. “Whatevertouches Nigeria touches Liberia,” he said.Renewing Nigeria’s commitment to thereconstruction, peace and stability ofLiberia, he said, “Your success story isNigeria’s success story.”

President Johnson Sirleaf laudedNigeria’s crucial role in Liberia’s recon-struction, citing that Nigeria has providedtraining opportunities for Liberian militarypersonnel and has also provided logisticalsupport for the Liberia National Police.The Liberian leader extended best wishesto the Government and people of Nigeriaas President Umaru Yar’Adua recuperates.

The Nigerian ambassador to Liberia,Ebenezer Adigun, says his country is pro-viding technical manpower to Liberia atNigeria’s expense. As part of this two-yearassistance, 18 medical doctors will be pro-vided to the health sector. Most of the doc-tors will be sent to rural areas which havethe most critical and greatest needs. In theeducational sector, 96 teachers includingmore than 50 science teachers for second-ary school and university lecturers havealready begun arriving in the country.

The Foreign Minister’s delegationincluded two members of Nigeria’sNational Assembly and the House ofRepresentatives. The delegation also visit-ed Benin, Ghana, The Gambia and Togo.The last time a Nigerian Foreign Ministervisited Liberia was in 1997. In October2009, the Nigerian First Lady, Mrs. HajiyaTurai Umaru Yar’Adua, also visited thepeacekeepers.

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MMiinniisstteerr mmeeeettssNNiiggeerriiaann PPeeaacceekkeeeeppeerrss

Nigerian Foreign Minister Chief Ojo Madueke greets peacekeepers

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The Legal and Judicial SystemSupport Division (LJSSD) ofthe UN Mission in Liberia(UNMIL) has handed over alarge consignment of office

supplies such as computers, printers, photocopiers, tables, chairs and stationeries toLiberia’s Law Reform Commission.

The donation in early January was abig boost for the newly establishedCommission, which was created in 2009when President Ellen Johnson Sirleafissued an Executive Order. “We hope thiswill go a long way in assisting the com-mission perform its statutory functions,”said Judicial Affairs Officer GaniatMustapha as she handed over the items atthe Commission’s office in the Liberiancapital, Monrovia.

“We are very much grateful for thisdonation which comes at a time when theGovernment is facing financial con-straints. We are happy that we have a part-ner in UNMIL and other partners whohave made contributions so we can moveas fast as we intend to move. These arethings that the commission need for itsoperations,” said former Justice MinisterPhillip Banks, Chairman of theCommission. The items were sourced byUNMIL with the support of the UnitedStates Institute for Peace and theUniversity of Northern Ireland.

The Liberian leader has often citedrule of law as one of the critical challengesconfronting Liberia. The reasons are obvi-ous. During Liberia’s protracted civil war,rule of law was the first casualty, and thecountry’s meagre facilities such as courts,prisons and police stations were eitherdestroyed or comprehensively looted andvandalized. But that is not all. Legalexperts say some Liberian laws areextremely obsolete and include Hinterlandregulations and statutes which are incon-sistent with the country’s Constitution.

Stressing that rule of law is at the veryheart of every country’s sovereignty,Deputy Special Representative for Rule ofLaw Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu says lawreform is one of the many things UNMILhas been working on. “As social change

occurs, you need new laws. But if you donot have any institution to study the trendor do research, then sometimes you areovertaken by events. Some laws have tochange to adapt to new realities; you haveto move with the times,” says theGhanaian former professor of law.

The creation of the Law ReformCommission is the brainchild of theMission. Kamudoni Nyasulu, the directorof LJSSD, which has 37 international andnational lawyers with diverse expertise,says UNMIL developed the concept paperon law reforms. The idea was subsequent-ly shared with the Government, UNDPand the Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID).

“We helped the Government set up aTask Force to make consultations and pro-pose draft legislations that will create aLaw Reform Commission,” says Nyasulu,pointing out, however, that reforms mustreflect the culture of the people, and that

complex issues such as marriage, divorceand inheritance require consultations. Thefunctions of the Commission have beenclearly delineated from that of theMinistry of Justice. The other three com-missioners are yet to be appointed.

“Everybody needs to understand thatrule of law, unlike infrastructure, takes along, long time to build,” says Nyasulu,who is a former Law ReformCommissioner. For her part, DeputyRepresentative Mensa-Bonsu saysUNMIL is compiling all the recommenda-tions over the years as related to lawreform which will be handed over to thecommission. “For every new institution, ittakes a bit of time to set up, to train, toadapt to procedures, obtain equipment, setup a good library,” she says, assuring thatUNMIL will continue to support the com-mission to function effectively.

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Judicial Affairs Officer Ganiat Mustapha hands over items to Chairman Philip Banks

SSuuppppoorrttiinngg LLaaww RReeffoorrmm

Liberians

Kemah Carter Executive Secretary

Mrs. Suzana G. Vaye Commissioner, Land Commission

Peter Quaqua President, Press Union of Liberia

Philip Sandi – Secretary-GGeneral,Press Union of Liberia

J. Mayles T. SukuStudent


How Can Liberia Ach

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“One way that we can achieve foodsecurity is to empower our people. If youwant them to be part and parcel of thisfood security, you must empower them –

give them the land, the tools and thesecurity so that when they produce theywill benefit as well. So I think that the

most effective way to attain food securityis to empower our people.”

Kuluboh Jensen – ProgrammeManager, Land Commission

“To achieve food security, I see three crit-ical things. First, farmers must get somesupport; secondly, food production mustbe diversified; I would say not only rice;and thirdly government should provide a

transport network that when farmersproduce their food they would be ableto get it to the market especially urbanmarkets. I think a fourth one would beto give better incentive to farmers forwhatever they would produce. This

would sway more people into agricul-ture. Otherwise it will be difficult when

we have this trend of rural –urbanmigration - everybody moving to thecities and nobody being left in the vil-lages and communities to produce the

food.”

“I think Liberia can achieve food securi-ty by prioritizing agriculture; I’m refer-ring to both mechanized and subsis-

tence farming. If all Liberians getengaged in farming, it will help to pro-duce more food instead of relying on

outside assistance.”

“Liberia can achieve food security ifgovernment can identify those farmersthat are engaged in massive food pro-duction and provide them subsidy to

improve their agricultural venture be itanimal husbandry, diary farming orgrowing crops including rice. Void of

politics, government should establish anautonomous Commission - Food

Sustainability Commission - that wouldensure increased and sustainable food

production. Lastly, institute policieswhich will create the environment toboost farmers’ local production likeadding tariffs on imported diary and

other products.”“I would like to encourage the govern-ment to provide subsidy for local farm-ers. Government also needs to begin tomake the agriculture sector an employ-ment place where we put farmers onsalary. We should also be looking atmechanized farming. People who are

making farms on their own, governmentprobably needs to begin to recruit themand give them subsidy, try to strengthen

them and I’m sure by that we willimprove on our food security in the

country.”

“The Liberian Government needs toempower local farmers; subsidize themand give them the things that they needto grow more food. This is very impor-tant because if that is done then Liberiawill be able to move to another level.”


s Speak hieve Food Security?

Arthur TuckerInformation and Communication

Officer, Land Commission

Winston MomboeBusinessman/Journalist

Ruth EngmannaStudent, University of Liberia

Lawrence Randall Journalist

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“We have to put in place necessarymechanisms to achieve food security.

One of them in my mind is investing inthe agriculture sector. Institute measuresthat redefine our approach to farming. Iwould support mechanized farming and

also redevelop the AgricultureCooperative Development Bank to beable to support farmers to have food

security in the country.”

Melissa AnnanJournalist

“We should empower our local farmersby giving them the necessary seeds andfarming implements that they need to

grow food since we have such fertile soilto grow food in abundance.

Government must improve the farm-to-market roads to be able to have thesefarmers take their produce from the

farm to the market. We have abundanceof land that communities can use to

grow some cash crops. Government canempower communities to cultivate theland and whatever is gotten from the

yield can be sold within these communi-ties through a revolving fund.”

“Food security first and foremost isnational security because without food

people will be hungry and then they areangered. If Liberia is to achieve foodsecurity they need to infuse the neces-sary funding into the sector. Farmers

have to be supported with qualityseeds, farming equipment and the

necessary training to produce. Farmershave to be able to take their producefrom the farm to the market. Another

issue that comes to mind is the issue ofroads. Government will have to buildfarm-to-market roads so that farmers

can bring their produce to market.Another issue is utilization. How can weutilize the food that we produce – that

is processing and packaging; the entirevalue chain looks at production, pro-

cessing, marketing and storage. If all ofthese are attained then, Liberia is very

close to food security.”

“Food security is a serious post-warchallenge for Liberia. If we improve

farm-to-market roads as well as providesome leverage for domestic farmers tohave their produce mechanized, thatwould help. But again, looking at thewhole policy construct, the Ministry of

Agriculture will need to divert most of itscurrent responsibility mainly towards

monitoring and formulation of policiesthan towards actual implementation.We think the private sector through

cooperatives can also help in that direc-tion.”

“I think Liberia can achieve food securityif the Liberian Government helps to buildthe farmers’ capacity. I mean if they helpto provide the farmers with seeds, tools

and all the things necessary for a farmerto produce more. It’s also important to

build these farm-to-market roads toenable farmers bring their produce fromthe farms to the market before the pro-duce spoils. These are just two of the

issues that readily comes to mind on howI think Liberians can attain food security.”

A publication of the United Nations Mission in Liberia Public Information Officewww.unmil.org

UN FOCUS, Vol. 6, No. 02

Documents

UN FOCUS - UNMIL