UNMIL worries over security

Amidst debate over the Liberian security preparedness to take over from United Nations Mission or UNMIL here  following its draw down, the Special Representative of UN Secretary General or SRSG to Liberia has described the current drawdown as a big challenge, wondering how confidence can be created in the Liberian security to take over from UNMIL.

SRSG Karin Langren is also worried about who takes over from UNMIL for security in Liberia.

Karin Langren: “UNMIL continues to drawdown, not so quickly but everyone recognizes that UNMIL is not going to be here forever; so how to create the confidence in the Liberian Police, BIN and others but then who is to take over from UNMIL that’s another challenge. UNMIL is here to support Liberia and Liberians so as long as we are here, we will look for ways of giving out support but is it in your heart to keep this country stable, safe, healthy, to have more people involve in development to make it a richer and richer country?”

She spoke in Kakata, Margibi County during a special meeting with community leaders in the office of the county superintendent on May 12, 2015 after she has had closed door meeting with the county’s  leadership, including top security personnel.

The meeting was centered on finding out security issues, figuring out what Margibians are doing about decentralization, governance and rule of law as well as the post Ebola plans of the county.

Earlier on May 12, 2015 before the meeting with community leaders, the SRSG along with top security personnel in the county and the Margibi County Leadership convened a closed door meeting.

Speaking to reporter after the meeting, Superintendent John Z. Buway declined to give detail of the closed door meeting held in his (Buway’s) office but maintained that it was focused on key security issues.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, some of the community leaders stressed the issue of violence in the country, which they said, are not sometime easily handled by the Liberian police, making specific reference to recent clashes between commercial motorcyclists and the police that resulted to arson attack against a police station in Paynesville.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi – Edited by Jonathan Brown and Othello B. Garblah