The exercise is part of preparations for the physical collection of small arms and light weapons within selected communities in the country.
Under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and European Union (EU) Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) project, the three-day event held from June 15-17, was aimed at further sharpening acquired skills of State Security personnel on the security of arms and Ammunitions Stockpile and Storage Facilities Management, Firearms Marking and Destruction.

It also provided an opportunity for the simulation of the collection, recording and destruction of arms in an attempt to establish minimum operational modalities for the impending community arms collection and destruction exercise, a UNDP press release issued Wednesday said.

The training, held at the Regional Justice and Security Hub in Gbarnga, Bong County, brought together officials of the Bong County local government authority and over 20 participants from relevant security institutions as well as officials of LiNCSA and UNDP.

During the opening ceremony, the Administrative Assistant to the Gbarnga City Mayor Alex Mulbah acknowledged the work of LiNCSA in the country, stating that the refresher was critical, especially in the wake of the ongoing drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

Mr. Mulbah said with the drawdown of UNMIL, the need for a more robust and strategic collaboration between state security forces and communities should not be overlooked.

He also stressed the need to build the trust of the people and alleviate fears among the citizens about whether or not the government and the national security forces are fully prepared to handle the security of the state after UNMIL leaves.
Mulbah emphasized the need for “a robust approach for border management, giving the fact that Liberia’s borders are very porous.”

“It is important that National government prioritizes strengthening the capacity of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization to properly man the border,” Mulbah stressed.

The long-term objective of the refresher training is to also ensure the transition towards the full autonomy of Liberian security forces in the management of collection operations as UNMIL draws down.

In remarks, the Coordinator of LiNCSA, Josiah F. Joekai, said LiNCSA, under the ECOWAS-EU project, has a significant role in ensuring that the issue of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is adequately addressed in Liberia.

According to Joekai, some citizens have expressed fear of reprisals from state security forces when they turnover weapons during the upcoming arms collection exercise, the UNDP release said.

In response to this concern, Mr. Joekai said the Commission is working with the Ministry of Justice in ensuring that a waiver is secured before the actual collection process begins.

“LiNCSA takes the waiver issue very seriously as it has been observed to be a major concern of the citizens in all of the communities we are working in,” Mr. Joekai said.

For his part, Mr. Lacina Barro, UNDP Project Coordinator of the ECOWAS-EU SALW Collection Project, emphasized the need for strong collaboration among security and the communities.

He added that the arms collection component of the project is very important because it will determine the success of the program.
LINA PR/TSS/PTK