FRESH DISARMAMENT STARTS IN LIBERIA - Weapons for Development
May 6, 2005
Author: J. Cholo Brooks
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) this week announced in Monrovia this week of the launching of a community weapon collection campaign aimed at raiding the country of ilegal weapons after nearly 15 years of civil war.
Addressing journalists in Monrovia, UNDP Small Arms Control expert, Napoleon Abdulia said a seed fund of US0,000.00 has been allocated for the program, which will be used to funbd development projects in communities that will report and hand in weapons hidden in their areas.
"The weapon for development is not a program that will benefit individuals but rather the community from where the arms or guns will be reported and turned over to the United Nations Mission in Liberia", Mr. Abdulia told journalists.
He said the program will fund projects including the construction of clinics, schools and wells based on the needs of the communities, "UNDP will encourage the setting up of district development committees made up of governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as elders and civic society organizations to determine the needs of each community providing information on the collection of these weapons.
"The more weapons collected and reported by the community under this program would determine the knid of project to be funded by the UNDP", the UN official disclosed.
He said the program is directly linked to the last lap of the disarmament and demobilization program and urged all Liberians to support this new initiatiuve to make Liberia a gun free society.
Adbulia said similar program has been launched in other countries including Sierra Leone and turned out to be successful with the mass participation of the public in that country.He also disclosed that the Canadian Government has provided funding for the same program in Guinea.
Here in Liberia, according to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), it has so far disarmed and demobilized morethan 100,000 fightersandcollected 28,314weapons and 33,604 heavy immunitions, the public and even officials of UNMIL at yet to be convinced that Liberia is totally gun free.
In a chart with few female fighters of the disbanded Liberian United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Ms. Chris Dorleh affectionately called Black Diamond said she was prepared to assist the UNDP relocate some of the hidden weapons in the city, "Some of fighters who have not disarmed are around here, I am prepared to help in this direction, " she told our reporter in Monrovia.
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The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) this week announced in Monrovia this week of the launching of a community weapon collection campaign aimed at raiding the country of ilegal weapons after nearly 15 years of civil war.