MONROVIA: The opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), has strongly reacted to the deployment of personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Margibi County, during the arrival of former President George Manneh Weah and his entourage from the United States of America (USA).
“We strongly condemn the deployment of the Armed Forces of Liberia during the arrival of former President Weah. We wish to point out that the security of the state is not necessarily guaranteed by security forces, but by adherence to the rule of law and allowing civil liberties to reign,” the CDC said in a statement, dated July 15, 2024.
Over the weekend, Ex-President George Weah returned to Liberia from the USA. His arrival here was greeted by a large crowd of partisans and supporters of the former ruling CDC.
However, the presence of AFL soldiers at the RIA, CDC said, created panic among the attendees, thus triggering sharp criticism from CDC partisans, political commentators, and critics of the Boakai administration.
There was a brief period of tension at the former President’s arrival between CDC supporters and state security, but the situation was brought under control through the intervention of the party’s leaders, CDC disclosed.
According to the CDC, the deployment of the National Army at the airport was “unwarranted and unnecessary and had the propensity to create chaos as the Army and police were aggressively confronting peaceful citizens who had assembled to welcome president Weah and entourage back to Liberia.”
“We cautioned our people to stay clear of the unwarranted provocation. Thank God everything went smoothly and our political leader arrived safely and used the Regular Terminal to exit the airport,” the opposition party disclosed.
In the last six (6) months, according to the CDC, the security forces of Liberia have become trigger happy, ”leading to several deaths of unarmed citizens.”
“This is totally unacceptable and a recipe for civil disorder,” the party added in its statement.
The party described the situation as ‘wanton of the Armed Forces of Liberia” and has decided to make formal representation to the Ministry of National Defense and Armed Forces of Liberia leadership.
The former ruling party cautioned President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), and the ruling Unity party (UP) led government for the AFL to remain a “Force for GOOD” and should never be used in a partisan manner!
Not only the opposition CDC has condemned the government’s action but also prominent Liberians including some members of the 55th Legislature, including Nimba County District # 7 Representative and Chairman of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Musa Hassan Bility.
Bility described the government’s decision as “incessant and flagrant abuse of power and disregard for the rule of laws.”
He wrote via his Facebook page: “The incessant and flagrant abuse of power and disregard for our laws must stop. Deploying the army during the arrival of a former President, who is now an active politician, is unacceptable. We will not remain silent in the face of such egregious actions. It’s time to prioritize the peace and security of our country. Cease these actions immediately.”
Former Representative Acarous Moses Gray, another senior member of the CDC, voiced his concern, stating that “Bringing the AFL out yesterday is a pure reminder of the brutal past. This is a creeping danger.”
Critics argue that the presence of soldiers could be seen as an intimidation tactic rather than a measure for maintaining order, potentially undermining the democratic principles that Liberia are striving to uphold.
Despite the mounting criticism, the government is yet to comment on the deployment of the AFL to the RIA during the arrival of ex-President Weah.