Human rights activist Samuel Kofi Woods has said Liberia needs “a nation-building army” as envisaged by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006 during her regime’s first Armed Forces Day celebration.
Woods, who served as the keynote speaker at the 58th Armed Forces Day anniversary on Wednesday in Monrovia, said Liberia needs an army that is involved in a number of activities such as repair, maintenance and construction of economic and health structures.
According to him, the army should also be able to carry out water and sewage activities as well as providing training to the police, judiciary and other civil administrations.
The former Labor and Public Works Minister, who spoke on the topic: “Enhancing the Capacity, Capabilities of the Armed Forces in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations,” said a vision built on such strong premise will certainly transform the AFL and by extension the country’s security sector.
He observed that the vision will also be fulfilling the details of both domestic and international standards.
Woods pointed out that the new restructuring program of the AFL, which started a few years ago and was pursued further by the Accra Peace Accord, must be informed by various factors such as universal rejection of unconstitutional changes of government and the growing influence of international courts and justice framework.