Click Here to Make TheLiberianTimes.com Your Homepage

Advertisement
Latest News

Liberia: AFL Centennial celebration takes place in Monrovia as President Sirleaf reaffirms suport to the Army
Feb 11, 2008
by Michael Kpayili / Staff Writer

The Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of Liberia Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has reaffirmed her Government’s commitment in providing the favorable environment for the sustenance of peace and stability required for the economic growth of the Country. The Liberian Leader also maintained that her Government will seek to ensure that efforts to rebuild the new AFL are sustained and improve upon.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made these statements in her goodwill message addressed at the Centennial celebration of the Armed Forces of Liberia and 51st anniversary of the Armed Forces day held at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia on Monday, February 11, 2008.

February 11 of each year is celebrated as Armed Forces Day. This day is set aside by an Act of the National Legislature on January 26, 1957 in appreciation of the gallantry of the men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia who stood in defense of their national patrimony dating back from 1908 up until 2008. The Liberian Leader in her Armed Forces Day message revealed that 1131 personnel of the Force have been trained by the Security Sector Reform (SSR).

“The Security Sector Reform (SSR) program as it affects the AFL has come a long way with the recruiting and training of 1131 personnel for the Force. We appreciate the efforts of the United States of America, China, Nigeria and other partners of the Defense Support Group for their assistance in the rebuilding of the new AFL. Also, A, B and C companies of the new AFL were activated in December 2007. We are also grateful to the UNMIL for their endeavor at sustaining the peace and stability we have enjoyed in this country for the past four years. We appreciate the effort make by other ECOWAS countries particularly the Republic of Benin and Ghana who have supported us in our effort towards positioning the new AFL as a force to be reckoned with”, CIC Sirleaf stressed.

President Johnson Sirleaf also expressed confident that the new AFL will be a source of pride to our people, to ECOWAS and to Africa as a whole. “The health of the Force rests on the ability to generate, sustain and transform capabilities over the long term. I expect these capabilities to be built over a timeline of five to eight years”, President Sirleaf said.

During the Centennial celebration of the AFL, three distant retired officers of the AFL were honored for distinguished service. They are Retired Major/General Stephen J. Koffa, Arthur B. Dennis (BG, Retired), and Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Kate G. Juwle.

Also speaking at the program, the Command Officer-in-Charge of the Armed Forces of Liberia Maj/General Suraj Alao Abdurrahman said the birth of the new Armed Forces of Liberia in this particular period in our history has given Liberians the rare opportunity and privilege of avoiding the mistakes of checkered past and establishing an Armed Forces with the legacy that future generations would proudly associate with. “This would require the determination, dedication and commitment of all Liberians”, he asserted.

Dignitaries in attendance at the program were former ECOMOG commander Lt/Gen. Victor Marlu, Vice President Joseph Boakai, Chief Justice Jonnie Louis, Lt/Col. William Wyatt, ODC at the US Embassy.

About the Author:
Michael Kpayili is a staff writer for TheLiberianTimes.com. Kpayili has written articles which have appeared on TheLiberianTimes.com since late 2005, and his hard hitting investigative journalism has earned the respect of the Liberian press community.

Michael Kpayili may be contacted at mkpayili@theliberiantimes.com.