Gov’t’s response to cross-border attack commendable, but…….

There is a report of another cross-border attack on an army based in neighboring Cote d’Ivoire by unknown gunmen alleged to be from Liberia.

Two Ivorian border soldiers were reportedly killed in the pre-dawn attack launched by the gunmen last Saturday from across the Liberian border, according to an online website Herald Scotland, quoting a local member of parliament.

The Ivorian Politician, Yaya Coulibaly  is quoted as saying the gunfire which erupted at about 3am and ensued between the assailants and soldiers, lasted over an hour.

Previous attacks were blamed on armed supporters of ex-President Laurent Gbagbo based in Liberia.

Independent reports of the dissident attack also point to the vast border forests of Liberia’s River Gee along the Ivorian border and not Grand Gedeh County as reported in some quarters as a possible dissident base.

How be it, the Liberian Government, through its Ministry of Information, expressed concern about the report, assuring that its relevant security agencies are presently investing.

“The Government of Liberia is concerned about news reports of recent attacks in border towns and villages of Cote D’Ivoire. Consistent with the policies of good neighborliness and a commitment to regional peace and security, the relevant Liberian security agencies are seriously investigating these reports as well as engaging their counterparts in Abidjan,”  said the Liberian Government, further expressing its commitment to working with and supporting the Ivorian authorities and international partners, in strengthening border security, regional peace and stability, as well as raid our countries of the mutually destabilizing activities of non-state actors.

We consider this initial reaction of Liberia as very welcoming as far as regional peace and security is concerned. Moreover, the decision to immediately put its national security apparatus at work on this serious matter, only expresses the true spirit and desire of the government in fostering good neighborliness in consonance with the 2013 Grand Gedeh peace meeting which brought together Presidents Ellen Johns Sirleaf and Alassan Watara and their strategic officials, as well as traditional leaders from border communities of the two countries.

We are assured that the current investigation is involving not only the security apparatus in Grand Gedeh and River Gee, but also traditional leaders with direct with direct administration over areas of the Liberian borders in the two counties so as to determine the facts and strategies to adopt to prevent recurrence.

We only urge the Liberian Government to ensure that the investigation launched be speedy and the results and recommended actions made available to the Ivorian Government and United Nations Missions in both countries so as to deal with the situation holistically.