Liberian president orders new security measures

MONROVIA – Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has announced a security crackdown following violent demonstrations by ex-soldiers and banned a labour strike that was planned for yesterday.

In an address on radio late on Tuesday Sirleaf ordered the prosecution of the leaders of hundreds of former government troops who rioted in the capital on Tuesday over pension payouts, injuring several people including two UN peacekeepers. The ex-soldiers erected barricades, burnt tyres and pelted stones at the ministry of defence complex in downtown Monrovia.”To deal with the violent behaviour …I am announcing and authorise the relevant agencies to arrest and prosecute all those who instigated and led the attack on the ministry of defence, UNMIL soldiers and Liberian citizens,” Sirleaf said.She also outlawed street protests planned by government workers yesterday over pay arrears and new reforms to downsize the civil service, fearing they could be hijacked to stir up more unrest in this fragile west African country.”We are imposing a ban on the planned demonstration by civil servants,” she said, extending an invitation to the state employees to dialogue over their grievances.”This is because we know that the civil servants would like to have a peaceful march, but we do not want their ranks infiltrated by those who want to perpetrate violence and cause more problems,” she said.An angry Sirleaf ordered the suspension until further notice, of promised payments to former soldiers, which were due on Friday, because of their unruly behaviour.”This is clearly calculated and orchestrated and was planned and targeted.It had a clear objective,” she said adding one of the soldiers’ leaders was on radio last week threatening to cause mayhem.”They did wreak havoc on Monrovia.They threw missiles on the ministry of defence building…they caused pandemonium.Such reckless and criminal behaviour cannot be allowed to persist,” she said.She also outlawed the carrying of machetes and the sale of petrol on the streets, fearing these could be used to fuel unrest in the country just emerging from decades of brutal civil conflicts.”We have instructed the police to arrest and consider anybody carrying cutlasses and machetes at night as those carrying arms,” she said.- Nampa-AFPThe ex-soldiers erected barricades, burnt tyres and pelted stones at the ministry of defence complex in downtown Monrovia.”To deal with the violent behaviour …I am announcing and authorise the relevant agencies to arrest and prosecute all those who instigated and led the attack on the ministry of defence, UNMIL soldiers and Liberian citizens,” Sirleaf said.She also outlawed street protests planned by government workers yesterday over pay arrears and new reforms to downsize the civil service, fearing they could be hijacked to stir up more unrest in this fragile west African country.”We are imposing a ban on the planned demonstration by civil servants,” she said, extending an invitation to the state employees to dialogue over their grievances.”This is because we know that the civil servants would like to have a peaceful march, but we do not want their ranks infiltrated by those who want to perpetrate violence and cause more problems,” she said.An angry Sirleaf ordered the suspension until further notice, of promised payments to former soldiers, which were due on Friday, because of their unruly behaviour.”This is clearly calculated and orchestrated and was planned and targeted.It had a clear objective,” she said adding one of the soldiers’ leaders was on radio last week threatening to cause mayhem.”They did wreak havoc on Monrovia.They threw missiles on the ministry of defence building…they caused pandemonium.Such reckless and criminal behaviour cannot be allowed to persist,” she said.She also outlawed the carrying of machetes and the sale of petrol on the streets, fearing these could be used to fuel unrest in the country just emerging from decades of brutal civil conflicts.”We have instructed the police to arrest and consider anybody carrying cutlasses and machetes at night as those carrying arms,” she said.- Nampa-AFP