Liberian army starts to disband
07/01/2006 22:03  - (SA)  

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Monrovia - Soldiers from Liberia's national army reluctantly began to disband on Saturday, peacefully leaving the main military barracks in the capital despite fears of violence.

Ahead of the inauguration later this month of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the country's first president following 14 years of civil war, the transitional authorities ordered the full disbanding of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).

The move angered the remaining soldiers in the army, which had already seen there numbers reduced and were slated to be reorganised under the 2003 peace accords.

Soldiers at the Schefflin military barracks were ready for war this morning when they got up at the first light of dawn to assemble around their commanders in the centre of the barracks.

"We aren't refusing to leave the barracks but we can't do so under the use of force," Colonel Wolloh Nagbe, commander of the barracks, said.

Departing soldiers bitter

But cooler heads prevailed, and they began leave voluntarily, with the government pledging not to force them out.

"The government is not going to use force any more for the evacuation of the barracks, Defense Minister Daniel Chea said.

A first group of soldiers left the barracks in the morning aboard a rented vehicle to take them home.

"I have talked to the soldiers and they have started to leave. But we will leave only the way we want to leave, not by force," said Nagbe.

The departing soldiers were bitter, and unwilling to believe the AFL was being disbanded.

While the 2003 peace accords called for the disbanding of the irregular militias that were operating in the country, the AFL was to be reorganised.

Most of the army, which was heavily dominated by civil-war era recruits loyal to warlord Charles Taylor, had been demobilised.

The US has committed some $200m to help rebuild Liberia's security apparatus, with the restructuring and training of a new, 4 000-strong national armed forces included, Chea said last year.

But last month the transitional government led by Gyude Bryant ordered the complete disbanding of the AFL.

- AFP

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