By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
I am reading from various post that the ALF attack on the police is a new phenomenon in Liberia and Africa. Apparently, we are not following such incident and want to politicize and publicize everything, particularly, things that print the image of the country negatively. All parties; position, opposition and no position are not working to promoted the good of the motherland. As a journalist, it behooves me to try my best to bring some of these issues to lights as it deems necessary.
As of the recent issue between the Liberia National Police and the Armed Forces of Liberia that is being mesmerized by some people, other countries have had similar issues, but their outcome is the way leaders handled it that many people did not even know it happened.
In Tamale, Northern Region in Ghana, the Ghanian Military rescued one of its officers who was arrested by the police. During the mission, the police station was ransacked, police officers as well as some onlookers and the entire Tamale community felt the wrath of the soldiers. Though Northern Region Minister Salifu Saeed describe di incident as shameful, but the incident generate debate about indiscipline for the military as it was the second attack on police within a month. Deputy Defence Minister Derek Oduro described di incident as “ugly” den “uncalled for.”
Still in Ghana, on March 27, 2023, some military personnel assaulted a police officer riding a motorbike for a traffic violation. Videos of the incident went viral, with soldiers saying, “You’re a cop, so what?” The officer is said to have dashed to the Accra Central Police Station and told his colleagues about his ordeal. The founder of the Peach Watch Ghana described the clash between the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Armed forces personnel as reckless.
Also, in Pakistan, the military and police met face to face in what is described as one of the unnecessary clashes in history. The Bahawalnagar incident took place in the city of Bahawalnagar in Pakistan, when there was a clash between the Punjab Police and the Pakistan Army, which was widely circulated on social media. The incident started when the Punjab Police allegedly illegally detained three citizens. In response, army personnel rescued them by raiding Madrasa police station in Bahawalnagar, which led to an attack on police personnel. Videos of the incident, which showed men in army uniforms allegedly attacking policemen, were widely circulated on social media and sparked widespread outrage from politicians and the public.
Here in Liberia, this could be the third time the police and military come face to face in such love adventure. During our one-termed President George Weah regime, on Du-port Road in Paynesville, the police and police got in similar altercation over the arrest of an AFL officer by the police. Also, as far back as 2008, at the ELWA Junction in Paynesville, the AFL responded to the assault of one of its Lieutenants who was in mufti and was assaulted by some police officers. Even in Harper City in 2007, where I come from, when the Late Gen. Eric Dennis was assaulted by some police officers, the AFL also dealt with them in like manner.
So, the recent love affairs, as I choose to term it, is not unique to Liberia as it is being perambulated by some folks in the media, opposition and no position communities. There are times when these unethical behaviors stream out between military and paramilitary officials.
Unlike the incidents in Ghana and Pakistan where military muscles were tried through the exchange of gun fires and assaults on civilians, there have never been shooting and arrest of people by the soldiers or police in the various incident in Monrovia.
On a frank note, and not want to side with the military or the police, the police need to be more civil, respectful and kind in her approach to civilians. I, as a journalist, am a victim of police misconduct. A police officer in Caldwell threatened to put rape charges against me, when I questioned his not wearing an identification card on duty, though some officers claimed that he was part of class 47. Even at the Slip-Way police depot on Water Street, a female officer who claimed to be the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) threatened to arrest and charge me for interfering with police investigation when I attempted to remind them of unethical behavior in arresting and confining people on minor issues. This is why the unethical and unprofessional attitude of this brought forward police should not be strange to us, Liberians, forgetting to know that this is a country of law and not men.
It is very seldom that we see our men and women in arms on the streets, except for emergency like the Ebola and COVID health crises we experienced as a nation. The Armed Forces of Liberia has always been a ‘Force for Good” and highly respected by the citizens. Though I’m not a soldier, but it is often said that ‘An attack on one soldier, it’s an attack on the army.’ That is why I’m not surprised to see the AFL respond to the incident the way it did. Frankly speaking, we must give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. When a person identifies himself as whatever he says he or she is, the best thing to do is verify. Don’t insinuate.” Honor is given to who it is due…
On the other hand, while I would give my all, any day for the AFL, I believe that it was not necessary to come out the way soldiers did. This was unnecessary, unethical, un-call for and disgruntle. We are a small country still recuperating from the scares of years of war and flexing military muscle by bringing out military armories and personnel in such manner instilled fears in the people, especially some of those who were victims of the civil war. Such behavior, though sporadic by the AFL, it should not be used as a means to put fears in paramilitary institutions and the civilians.
With such anger and power, if not careful, one day our soldiers will walk on the Executive Mansion like the Zimbabwean Army did on Robert Mugabe. In under a month in power, some women claiming to be wives and husband of personnel of the AFL blocked major highways and streets in Liberia, demanding that the appointment of Gen. Prince Johnson as Defense Minister be rescinded by the President, and interestingly it was done.
Now that the AFL has started beating police officers in the name of responding to attack on one of its officers, we should not be surprised that this could extend to us civilians and nothing will be done. The incident needs to be investigated and those responsible should answer to the charge(s). Like Charles would say, “This a country of law, not men.”
There is a need for inter-agency collaboration to address the standard operational procedures of security actors where all will be respected by each other through the showing of identities, information and moreover, passcodes. If this was done among our security agencies, such incident that led to the coming out of the barrack by the AFL would not have happened. But in all, the AFL, that we all cherished should know that this is a country of law and not men!
The thought of the son of a professional Kru woman…