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Armed Factions Disbanded At Last...Conneh Wants Search for Hidden Arms
Intensified

The NEWS (Monrovia)
NEWS
May 11, 2004
Posted to the web November 5, 2004

By Sheriff Adams
Monrovia
Fourteen years of bloody armed conflicts that wrecked the West African State of
Liberia has apparently ended, at least for now, following a declaration last
week by the three warring factions that they have disbanded their military
forces and command structures.
In the joint declaration, the former armed groups agreed that all irregular
forces of the GOL, MODEL and LURD shall cease to exist as military forces, upon
the completion of the disarmament process. They acknowledged that having ceased
to exist as military forces in Liberia, they shall not own, use or carry any
weapons, instruments, machineries or materials of war and shall not engage in
any use of force, either individually on in concert, for any reason whatsoever.
The formal dissolution of the armed factions took place Wednesday during a
program held at the Executive Mansion.
The occasion was attended by heads of warring factions, representatives from
the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, the European Commission and the
the U.S. Government. At a program to mark the end of the disarmament process,
the former armed factions, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy
(LURD), the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) and the ex- Government of
Liberia affirmed their commitment to the peace process by signing the Joint
Declaration.
The disbanded groups, in the joint declaration also said that, "fighting forces
and military commands have completely disarmed and disbanded and that all
weapons and other instruments, materials and machineries of war in the
possession of and, or under the control and their fighting forces and military
commands have been delivered or surrendered to the United Nations Mission in
Liberia (UNMIL) on or before October 31, 2004 in compliance with the terms of
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement." In a statement, former Foreign Minister
Lewis Browne who represented the disbanded GOL, commended the international
community for their support toward the disarmament process.
He assured Liberians that the former GOL was only interested in the political
process not military adventurism. Mr. Brown said the Transitional Government
has a responsibility to ensure that thousands of combatants who have been
disarmed and demobilized are provided opportunities to improve their lives. The
former LURD leader, Sekou Conneh, officially pronounced that his group is
disbanded, and reaffirmed his support to the process leading to general and
presidential elections next year. "The people of Liberia have the right to hold
anyone culpable of carrying arms...we urge former fighters to take note," Mr.
Conneh said.
The former faction leader commended UNMIL for doing a great job, but he urged
the UN to intensify search for hidden arms to ensure that people with exterior
motives are checked. Mr. Conneh disclosed that he's considering forming a
political party to contest general and presidential elections next year. Former
MODEL leader Thomas Yaya Nimley who is also Foreign Minister within the
transitional power-haring government, said his group has been officially
disbanded. But he appealed to the UN to continue the disarmament process in
Grand Kru and Sinoe Counties due to the late start of the process there.
He urged combatants in the two counties to give their arms to UNMIL, and that
they would be justly compensated. Mr. Nimley appealed to the international
community to provide support for the rehabilitation of combatants. The former
MODEL Chairman said his organization will not turn itself into a political
party. He said there were too many political parties in the country - some
without platform. Mr. Nimley pointed out that his disbanded group will consider
the political party with the best platform.

   

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