DELIVERED BY MARJON V. KAMARA MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA FEBRUARY

Transcription

1 1 ARMED FORCES DAY KEYNOTE ADDRESS How the Military can support civilian authority in the post UNMIL environment DELIVERED BY MARJON V. KAMARA MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA FEBRUARY 11, 2016 (As Delivered) Your Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and Commander in Chief of the Armed of Liberia Honorable Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia; Mr. Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives; Mr. President Pro Tempore and Members of the Liberian Senate; Hon. Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court; My Colleagues of the Cabinet; The Doyen and Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps; The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Liberia; The Force Commander of UNMIL; Your Excellency Chigozie F. Obi-Nnadozie, Former Ambassador of Nigeria to Liberia; Representatives of International Organizations; The Chief of Staff and the Women and Men of the Armed Forces of Liberia; The Adjutant General of the Michigan National Guard; ECOWAS Mentors and Trainers of the Armed Forces of Liberia; Families of our Gallant Women and Men of the Armed Forces of Liberia; The Chairman and Members of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders; Prelates and Religious Leaders; Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen: We have assembled here today by Act of Legislature and in keeping with sacred tradition, to commemorate the 59 th Anniversary of Armed Forces Day. On this auspicious occasion, I salute all of the men and women of our Armed Forces. We acknowledge your dedication and significant contribution to the state and also to regional and international peace. I remember and also want to salute, on this day, the men and women of our Armed Forces who are serving in the United Nations Multidimensional Integration Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). We have been privileged, as a people and nation, we appreciated support from our partners, to have enjoyed more than twelve consecutive years of peace and stability. By this we have defied the judgment of those who doubted that Liberia would have reached a decade without relapsing into conflict. This period has not been without its own challenges, including the deadly Ebola Virus Disease which took a heavy toll on our population and caused economic distortions. These challenges have been far outweighed however by the successes made possible by the visionary leadership of the President of the Republic, progressive policies of government, and resilience and determination of the Liberian people. We have had two general and presidential elections; and have built a new army and other security apparatuses. Great strides have been made in revitalizing the economy, reviving basic services, and restoring the rule of law. We have re-engaged actively with the global community and taken our seat at the tables of discussion in regional and international organizations. And the government is continuing to institute policies and programs aimed at transforming the country and improving the general well-being of each Liberian. Our Agenda for Transformation and Vision 2030 reflect these aspirations. An environment of peace and stability is an indispensable enabler of what we have accomplished thus far, and will be the underpinning of any

2 achievement in the future. So, ladies and gentlemen, fellow compatriots, the question I pose is this: Can we provide security and maintain peace and stability on our own after the inevitable departure of UNMIL? I believe sincerely that we can and, indeed, we must! Madam President, officials of Government, distinguished guests: I have been tasked today to share my reflections on how the military, as a very significant establishment in the security sector, can provide support to civil authority in the post-unmil environment. I am grateful and humbled by the invitation to address this gathering on this topic. But before I do so, allow me to congratulate the military high command in particular our Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for their professionalism, focus and commitment to duty. I want to also convey thanks and commendation to the Minister of Defense, the Honorable Brownie J. Samukai, Jr., who is providing strong leadership. His has been a pivotal role in the building of the new Armed Forces of Liberia, which is today a source of great national pride. We owe much gratitude to you, Madam President, for your able and farsighted leadership and direction of this country and for the orientation of our national security architecture, which began in your role as Chairperson of the Governance Reform Commission. Many of the transformative measures undertaken in building the military and other institutions of government have their origins in recommendations framed during your tenure. So we say congratulations to you, Madam Commander-In- Chief! There are many schools of thought and much scholarly work on the role of the military and its interaction with civil authority. In the case of Liberia, the focus in recent times has been the establishment of a development-oriented military. Today s armed forces contrasts sharply with its predecessors. There are accounts of the Liberian military being used to mobilize labor forcefully, this was the era of the socalled noko soldier. There are also accounts of the role the military played in the almost two-decade civil war. The military then was generally semi-literate and constituted along ethnic lines. Today s Armed Forces of Liberia has evolved to become the most educated in our history, with specialized skills in many disciplines. Our men and women in uniform reflect high quality and standards, integrity, loyalty and commitment not to any particular ethnic group but to the nation. They are being trained not only in national defense but also in strategic institution building and civic responsibilities. I am particularly impressed by the progress that the military has made in integrating women. I understand that seven female officers and seventy-three enlisted women currently serve in the military, and that the Ministry of National Defense desires to reach a goal of twenty percent female enlistment. We encourage the Ministry in its effort to attain this target which will contribute to the national objective of gender mainstreaming. The National Defense Act of 2008 requires the AFL to provide command, communications, medical, transportation and humanitarian support to civil authority in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, during the outbreak of disease or epidemic and to also support national law enforcement agencies when requested. True to this mandate, the Armed Forces of Liberia has built a respectable record for supporting civil authority. The Health Department of the Ministry and the medical command of the armed forces have been providing medical examinations, treatment and HIV/AIDS counseling as part of their outreach to communities. We all know that during the Ebola health crisis, the military also constructed Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs), in conjunction with the United States Army under Operation United Assistance. 2

3 The military s Engineering Company has collaborated with the Ministry of Public Works in rehabilitating community and feeder roads across the country, and was very instrumental in restoring roads in Sinoe, making it easier for people to commute to the 2015 Independence Day Celebrations that convened in Sinoe and Grand Kru Counties. A number of townships in Montserrado County have similarly benefited from the road rehabilitation mission of the military. In the education sector, the armed forces has sought to mend its fractured relationship with the residents of West Point by renovating a school in that community. The value which this military places on education is manifest in its management of senior high and elementary schools for its dependents as well as children of the communities in which they operate. There is also record of the military collaborating with the Liberia Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture with respect to protecting Liberia s coastal waters. We congratulate the Armed Forces of Liberia for all of these exemplary works and the continuing dedication to helping breach capacity gaps and render assistance where it is needed. In the presence of UNMIL now, the military has demonstrated that in addition to its statutory responsibility to defend the territorial integrity of the state, it can provide effective support to civil authority. We expect them to do no less in the post UNMIL environment. This is comforting, at least to me, and it gives cause for optimism about the future. Nonetheless, we must be reminded that military support to civilian authority is most ideal when provided under exceptional circumstances as indicated in the Defense Act and therefore must remain the exception and not become the norm. It must not lead to complacency or dependency. If the primacy of civil authority is to be maintained, it is imperative that we build and reinforce civilian institutions, in particular those responsible for law enforcement. While we can tap into the resources of the military, whether human or material when faced with acute constraints, we must also work rapidly to improve civil law enforcement institutions because it is they who have the responsibility to ensure law and order. As we recognize and celebrate the 59 th Anniversary of the armed forces, we should not lose sight of the fact that the military is a part of the broader security architecture of the country that encompasses the police, immigration and other agencies. For the common good, they must collaborate under a wellcoordinated framework to build synergies and complementarity for the protection of the Liberian people within safe and secure borders. If the other components of the security architecture are robust and have won the trust of the people, then exceptional circumstances for deployment of the military may not arise, and the armed forces will remain focused on its noble role of protecting the nation s territorial integrity. Let us envisage a post UNMIL environment with a strong, well-trained and equipped and peoplefriendly national police force, decentralized and deployed throughout the length and breadth of the country. A police force which by its presence reassures the people of government s protection and care for their safety. Let s talk about a police force which is engaged in community policing and is integrated into local governance structures, as envisaged in our decentralization policy. Let s imagine a Liberia where citizens can utilize peace councils and palava huts, with active participation of women s groups for settling their differences instead of resorting to violence and conflict. The UNMIL transition period dictates that we bring a higher sense of urgency to the national challenge of strengthening our civil law enforcement institutions. We can all agree that the security of our state and the maintenance of peace in the post-unmil era will not and should not rest with the military alone. In fact, history reminds us that it has never rested with the military alone, nor with the President, nor with the government alone. Sustainable security and continuing stability in this country will be defined more by the efforts we make as a government and as a people in addressing national challenges such as youth unemployment, reducing inequalities in income and opportunities, reconciliation and national healing, decentralizing social and security services, improving 3

4 the quality of education, maintaining the enabling environment for investment, providing incentives for investors with some growth promotion privileges for Liberian investors, among other things. Ultimately, it is the legitimacy that the people bestow on the state and their well-being as possessors of their country that institute actual fortification of security. The transition of UNMIL puts our nation at a crossroads. We are being closely watched by the international community, to see if the years of reform and investments in democratic processes, including security sector reform will indeed yield sustainable peace. Our partners have high expectations of us. We must not fail them, and we must not fail ourselves. Madam President and Commander in Chief, through Liberia s engagement with the Peacebuilding Commission of the United Nations over the past five years, we have endeavored to address the root causes of our protracted civil war. We have put in place mechanisms to protect the human rights of the Liberian people, to promote human security and social cohesion within and among communities. We must intensify these efforts because, ultimately, it is we ourselves who must keep the peace each one showing respect for the other and appreciating that diversity can be a source of strength and unity. The concept of regional justice and security hubs, introduced within the framework of our peacebuilding engagement, is still to be fully validated. The underlying objective of increasing peoples access to justice and security services, particularly for rural communities, is laudable and worthy of pursuit. It is commendable that the first of five regional justice and security hubs has been established in Gbarnga to cover Bong, Lofa and Nimba counties. Lessons have been learned, and a reorientation of the concept has taken place with greater emphasis on services rather than structures. What this concept now needs and I would humbly recommend is new impetus through a higher infusion of resources to allow for the positioning of security-related services and rule of law institutions in closer proximity to the communities they serve thereby strengthening the people s confidence in their government. I hope that our donor partners that are here will be listening to this particular plea for continuing participation and support in this sector. When law enforcement institutions are capacitated and equipped to execute their functions effectively, the need for the military to backup their activities is reduced drastically. Our people must have faith in their institutions to deliver justice, and the government has the responsibility of inspiring that faith. The people must have faith in the systems and utilize the lawful channels through which they can seek redress. Our criminal justice system including the police, the courts and the detention facilities have to be further improved to more rapidly and equitably dispense justice in the post-unmil environment. District Peace and Security Councils should be strengthened and utilized effectively for regular consultations involving all stakeholders at the community level and serve as strong platforms for people to openly discuss their views and resolve their differences. It would be disingenuous to harbor the thought that moving forward, Liberians will never disagree and even tussle over different views and interests. To do so sometimes is healthy and is part of the nature of our existence, but coming from a past littered with the horrors of massive loss of lives and destruction of properties, no one would gainsay that the people of Liberia have tasted war and want it no more. The dichotomy between civilian oversight of the military and military support to civil authority should not be blurred even by the closest collaboration between the military and civilian institutions. The military has a cardinal role, which is to defend the state against external aggression. It can also be called to reinforce civil capabilities in ensuring internal law and order. But we must be careful not to grow dependent on military support. 4

5 Cooperation and coordination between military and civil law institutions are key in the post- UNMIL environment. The military, as it has proven over the years since its restructure, can be useful in multidimensional ways in that environment. Apart from having our soldiers render much needed support for example, in helping to rehabilitate roads and carrying out health sensitization there is need to give more attention to the military in terms of the promotion of peacebuilding. More time and action should be dedicated to identifying and supporting structures that buttress peace in order to avoid a relapse into conflict. This includes continuing efforts to put equity at the core of all national endeavors and to substitute greed and selfishness for generosity and public service ethics. Madam President, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Chief Justice, distinguished ladies and gentlemen: While we consider all of the strategic and tactical issues related to ensuring a seamless transition from UNMIL, including remaining committed to government s development objectives, we must devise a comprehensive communications strategy to change what seems to be a common perception among Liberians that the country s future is fragile and the departure of UNMIL will precipitate violence and conflict. This is a psychological conundrum that we have to quickly address through communicating shorter and clearer messages to our people about the transition and what it means for the country. Many Liberians think that by June 30 this year Liberia s relationship with the UN will come to an end and that there will be absolutely no UNMIL personnel left in Liberia. Some Liberians do not believe that we have the ability to secure ourselves. We must make our people understand even if it means communicating in our local dialects that there will remain a reduced UNMIL presence of military personnel and civilian police beyond June 30. However, security responsibilities once performed by UNMIL will now be solely in the hands of state security. Our people have to know that they too have a responsibility to respect the authority of our law enforcement institutions. We must also remind our people that the officers we meet at police depots are Liberians, and the lawyers at the courts will also be Liberians. So, if anything, we must build trust in our systems and processes. We must inspire hope in our people that together we can all be security for one another. There is no need to have fear for the future, because Liberia belongs to all of us Liberians. And, if we must continue on the path of progress we must hold together no matter the difference of opinions or interest! We must exercise our civil liberties respectfully and responsibly, mindful of the rights of others. The military has a part to play in inspiring confidence, and the best way to do this is to enhance its community-based approaches and instill an organizational philosophy of public service and sensitivity to civil society. Ultimately, some of the issues that have to be addressed in the post-unmil environment to ensure long-term cohesion and stability of the state include: land rights; sustainable livelihoods, especially economic empowerment for our women and youths; bridging inequalities, supporting entrepreneurship and providing stimulus for small and medium enterprises to thrive; instituting a strong early warning system; and decentralization, among others. It is on the back of these programs that our national security will thrive in the post-unmil environment. The Armed Forces have the capability to support civil authority in many ways in achieving these objectives. We must protect the primacy of civil authority while building a partnership with the military. In the civilian-military interaction, there is much that the civilian authority can learn from the military: discipline, respect for authority, dedication to duty and commitment, camaraderie, loyalty and shared responsibility one to the other. Finally Madam President and Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Chief Justice, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I want to once again recognize the invaluable services of the men and women of our Armed Forces and to end my remarks by paraphrasing a patriotic exhortation from the Lone 5

6 Star Forever, Then forward sons and daughters of freedom march, defend the sacred heritage, the Nation s call from age to age. MAY THE ARMED FORCES OF LIBERIA REMAIN EVER VIBRANT LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU! 6