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MODEL Submits Fighters' List, Ex-GOL Follows Suit Today As DDRR Resumes
Tomorrow

The NEWS (Monrovia)
NEWS
April 14, 2004
Posted to the web April 14, 2004

By Bobby Tapson
Monrovia
It has been disclosed that the armed faction, Movement For Democracy in Liberia
(MODEL) has met one of the key requirements of the disarmament, demobilization,
rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR) program by submitting the listing of
its fighting forces.
The submission of the list of fighters by the three warring factions including
the former Government of Liberia (EX-GOL), the Liberians United for
Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and MODEL is a prerequisite for the success
of the entire DDRR program.
Mr. Molley Paasewe, Communication Officer at the National Disarmament
Commission disclosed this yesterday in an interview with The NEWS.
He said MODEL submitted its list Monday to the Transitional Government at the
Executive Mansion during a "get together meeting" attended by 48 generals, with
16 of them coming from each of the factions.
Mr. Paasewe could not give details of the MODEL listing. But he described it as
"comprehensive" in that the volume of documents was bulky when it was presented
to Head of State Gyude Bryant who is also Chairman of the National Disarmament
Commission.
According to him, the former Government of Liberia is expected to present its
list of fighters by today. He did not elaborate.
None of the ex-government representatives on the commission was available up to
press time to confirm the information.
Mr. Paasewe said the meeting between the faction generals and the Head of State
was "very cordial".
He said the meeting was also intended to acquaint themselves with one another
as well as to assure the Liberian leader of their continuous commitment and
support to the DDRR process.
He said the meeting was arranged by the National Disarmament Commission's
Executive Director Dr. Moses Jerbo as a prelude to the resumption of the DDRR
program.
Meanwhile, the Communication Officer said Dr. Jerbo is urging all combatants to
abide by the DDRR schedule and to also listen to their senior commanders for
the DDRR procedural instructions.
Mr. Paasewe said the Commission was in need of logistics, especially vehicles
so that workers of the Commission would visit the cantonment sites on a daily
basis.
"The two vehicles we have for now are insufficient because we have deployed 16
staff at the four cantonment sites and we have to deal with them regularly", he
said.
In a related development, LURD Deputy Chief of Staff, General Ophoree Diah told
The NEWS yesterday at the Disarmament Commission that his group was now putting
pieces together and would submit their lasting very soon.
He displayed some sheets of papers with names indicating that LURD was
preparing to submit a list of its fighting forces.
Disarmament of combatants in the 14-year Liberian civil war resumes tomorrow in
Gbarnga, Bong County to be continued in Tubmanburg, Bomi County and at other
locations.

   

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