Liberia’s national security sector operates under old structures that are unworkable, wasteful and do not engender the support of the people. This paper, authored by Gompert, Oliker, Stearns, Crane and Riley, recommends the organisation of a new sector architecture of both force structure and security institutions. Liberia must create a new security structure capable of meeting the country’s internal and external challenges.
Liberia faces the danger of growing lawlessness. If public safety and the rule of law are not established, domestic threats will arise. Even if outright foreign aggression against Liberia is improbable under present conditions, the potential exists for incursions by foreign insurgents.
After decades of dictatorship and civil war, newly-elected Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf is now providing more able leadership, pursuing reconstruction of the country’s institutions and making security sector transformation a high priority. The United Nations (UN), United States (US) and other external actors are now assisting in the reconstruction of Liberia’s armed forces.
A new architecture of both force structure of the Liberia National Police (LNP), the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and other national security institutions is necessary to meet both internal and external threats in a cost-effective manner.
An analysis of force structure options yields the following findings:
- Force plans and structure must be based on analysis of police force size, the importance of quick response, the size and firepower of the army and the rate at which the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) can be drawn down;
- Given difficult road access in the country, there is a need for good surveillance, rotary-air mobility, pre-emptive action and isolation of armed groups in inaccessible areas;
- Command and control arrangements between the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the AFL should be better coordinated; and
- Liberia’s international partners should help improve civilian and military capability to plan and align its resources with needs.
Transformation of security institutions should include:
- Creation of a national security council (NSC) for policy making, resource allocation and crisis maintenance;
- Consolidation of the ancillary police into the LNP, eliminating unnecessary police units;
- Alignment of the under the justice ministry while maintaining operational control, should be aligned; and
- Passage of a new security law – although a challenge to enact, this is a better way to meet security needs, rather than revising existing laws or instituting a system by presidential decree.
- Immediate and consistent use of the NSC;
- Development of integrated UNMIL-Liberian force plans with the US and UN;
- Public education, political consensus building and preparation of a national security law;
- Increased LNP-international civilian police patrols to solidify rule of law and show the state is making progress; and
- Plans to assure continuation of UNMIL’s quick-response force and creation of an LNP quick-response unit and a small Coast Guard.
New Liberian leadership committed to creating a peaceful future for the country and its people, combined with the presence of UNMIL, the commitment of the US and a somewhat less threatening external security environment provides Liberia with the time to create effective, legitimate and coherent security forces and institutions.
