Refugees International: Reports: Visual Mission: Security and Justice Sector Reform in Liberia

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Visual Mission: Security and Justice Sector Reform in Liberia

During its recent mission to Liberia, alongside its research into humanitarian issues, Refugees International also examined security sector reform and access to justice. It was the failure of these systems that led to civil war and the displacement of nearly half the Liberian population. Without the establishment of functioning security and justice systems, Liberians who are still in exile will not feel safe to return to their homes. And if the intended improvements do not materialize, the likely result will be a further displacement of Liberians in the future. The following visual mission summarizes the current state of reform in Liberia.

Liberia 2007: Army Recruitment Poster

Photo Credit: Refugees International
08/19/2007
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) was decimated by the rebellion launched by Taylor's guerrilla movement in 1989, and was never properly reconstituted thereafter. Since 2005, the United States has been working with the government of Liberia to establish a 2,000-member light army. 105 recruits graduated from basic training in November 2006. The second class of 525 recruits began training at on July 23, 2007.

On August 21, 2007, the Ministry of Defense announced a new recruitment drive for a further intake of AFL recruits. There will be a special emphasis on female recruits; approximately 5% of the extant AFL is female. The end state for the AFL is a professional army “… modeled on US Army doctrine, that will support the national objectives of the Government of Liberia.”