–Condemns Huge Army, Police Presence At Weah’s Arrival
The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has strongly condemned the deployment of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) during the arrival of ex-President George M. Weah. The party warned the army to remain a “Force for Good” and not allow itself to be used in a partisan manner.
In a statement issued Monday, the CDC said, “On Saturday July 13, 2024, members, sympathizers and supporters of the CDC assembled at the Roberts International Airport to welcome His Excellency George Manneh Weah, former President of Liberia and Standard Bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change. To our utmost surprise and dismay, we witnessed the huge deployment of the Armed Forces of Liberia and the Liberia National Police.”
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 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 CDC release observed.
“We strongly condemn the deployment of the Armed Forces of Liberia during the arrival of 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 release added.
The CDC claimed that, in the last six (6) months, the security forces of Liberia have become trigger happy, leading to several deaths of unarmed citizens. This, the CDC said, is totally unacceptable and a recipe for civil disorder.
“The CDC will be making a formal representation to the MoD and AFL leadership on the wanton abuse of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The AFL should remain a ‘Force for Good’, and should never be used in a partisan manner,” the CDC maintained.