The disappointing results of the pledging conference has triggered a variety of reactions at various levels of our society. Some Liberians have begun to feel frustrated and are once again on the verge of despair; others find in the position of the international community opportunities to cast blames, point fingers and engage in tirades against those who want to keep moving forward with disarmament. Thank God there are those who have accepted the poor showing of the international community as a challenge, and are determined to find solutions within their own mental and material resources. The undisputed fact is that disarmament is everybody’s business, and it is the patriotic duty of every Liberian to try to understand what is happening and to offer suggestions as to how to move the process forward.

In the first issue of DISARMAMENT WATCH, we attempted a snap-shot review of last March’s unsuccessful attempt at disarmament. We pointed out that one of the reasons why the disarmament effort failed was that it was largely an activity involving ECOMOG, UNOMIL, and the leaders of warring factions. No peace-loving Liberian should want to see another failed disarmament program. That is why all Liberians should assist in promoting the disarmament program.

A constant theme through successive issues of DISARMAMENT WATCH thus far, has been the need for a national policy on disarmament-a policy formulated by our government with inputs from a cross section of the Liberian society. This is not happening. We continue to insist that this is the way to go. We applaud the initiatives taken by individual council men. We particularly applaud recent visits by Vice Chairman Boley to Grand Gedeh and his efforts in getting a convoy of relief items to the southeast. We equally applaud his message to the local people, including his fighters, informing them that the war is over and that it is time for peace. We are very pleased that the Vice Chairman took along with him members of the diplomatic corps, and above all, leading commanders of the NPFL. This is REAL PROGRESS, CONCRETE PROGRESS.

As laudable as Councilman Boley’s latest move is, it should not stand as an isolated event, nor as the beginning of a disarmament initiative by a lone councilman. There is a need for a well thought-out national approach in which the councilman’s actions will constitute one set of activities in a program of tightly integrated and well coordinated activity-packages. These activity-packages will involve undertakings by all the council men, our chiefs, elders ex-combatants, mothers and sisters, imams and preachers, and the vast array of Liberians who have to live with the disarmed former combatants and whose support is important to ensure the psychological integration of former combatants back in society, and the overall SUCCESS of the program.

The Cold Facts

Let us face the facts: it is clear that the international community will not provide significant amounts of cash to be handed out to the fighters as they disarm. It also seems that no warring faction leader has the funds to settle with his fighters or is prepared to put up that amount of cash. The fact then remains that it is the Liberian people whose safety and future depends on disarmament must be called upon to take a keen interest in, and be prepared to make sacrifices for disarmament. It is in the interest of this government to want to prepare the Liberian people to share the burden disarmament. This will not only lead to successful disarmament, but also to successful reconciliation and prompt national recovery.

Accordingly, DISARMAMENT WATCH will continue to call on the Liberian people, ECOWAS and the international community to maintain a keen interest and ensure genuine disarmament in Liberia. DISARMAMENT WATCH will also continue to encourage Liberians, to continue to analyze their situation, and explore ways to promote disarmament. Our government must develop the goodwill and open mind to embrace views other than their own and to know that a society unsafe for one is unsafe for all; and that disarmament ultimately benefits every Liberian.

DISARMAMENT WATCH wants to commend those members of the council who, despite the poor results of the pledge conference, have been prepared to take initiatives for disarmament. We want to urge them to show leadership in putting a disarmament policy together. Let us take our cue from ECOMOG: As soon as Field Commander Inienger learned that he was not to receive even half of what he needed for disarmament, he returned to his drawing board and came up with a bare-bones package. He has now devised his program so that with seven to nine thousand men, instead of twelve to eighteen thousand, a fleet of trucks, an efficient communications system, and military engineering equipment, he will be ready for deployment.

Even UNOMIL that has always had more resources than ECOMOG has had to trim down as a result of resource limitation. According to Security Council Resolution 1020 adopted recently, there will now be 160 UN military observers and not 360 as previously approved. UNOMIL is now to take responsibility for the establishment of demobilization centers at a cost of US$9 million. We hope that UNOMIL’s mandate in this respect will enable it to have such centers serve also as assembly sites, thereby cutting costs even further.

The Challenge to Liberians led by The Council of State

It is the task of the Liberian people, led by their government, to complement the efforts of ECOMOG: to go back to our drawing board and come up with as much as we can, within the realm of our possibilities. WE MUST CHALLENGE OURSELVES. If we think imaginatively and act positively, we can achieve a coherent disarmament program with what we have.

Already we have stressed that Councilman Boley’s initiative can be part of a larger program package. Many others have proposed ideas which can become elements of the program package. For example, in the first of what seems to be a series of commentaries in the DAILY OBSERVER (November 22, 1995) by Cletus Segbe Wotorson, it is suggested that leaders of warring factions who are now on the Council of State should undertake “an information campaign to prepare your fighters psychologically to disarm, reduce their expectations of immediate cash handout, and help them look forward to training and preparation of themselves for the future.” To ease the communications problems, Wotorson suggested that the communications system of all warring factions should be “synchronized” with ECOMOG “so that ECOMOG will have direct access to your commanders and field operatives.”

Another example of sound suggestions which could constitute part of a disarmament program package appeared in the INQUIRER and NEW DEMOCRAT newspapers last week and had to do with Councilman Boley’s trip to southeastern Liberia. Both newspapers hailed the visit particularly because it included foreign diplomats, the UN Special Envoy, the ECOMOG high command, and was a major breakthrough with respect to the sending of positive signals to villagers of the southeast and LPC fighters that the war is truly over. Both papers suggested that such visits should not only be paid to other parts of Liberia but should include several councilmen travelling together, proclaiming the message of peace and informing the fighters to prepare to cooperate with ECOMOG for disarmament.

In this light, DISARMAMENT WATCH takes this opportunity to offer some suggestions which, along with those already made by others, can be crafted into a program package by the Council of State. INDEED, WE WANT THE COUNCIL OF STATE TO TAKE THE LEAD. ___

TOWARD A NATIONAL STRATEGY PROMOTING DISARMAMENT

Taking many of the suggestions already made into account we strive to propose the following: First, we propose that every Councilman or official of government who is leader of a warring faction should do a series of radio broadcasts in English with translations in the Liberian languages informing their fighters to prepare to receive and cooperate with ECOMOG upon deployment by ECOMOG; proceed to assembly sites at the appropriate time; and to disarm to ECOMOG. These broadcasts should begin immediately.

Second, after the issuance of these orders, all members of the Council, accompanied by the ECOMOG high command, officials of UNOMIL, including the Special Representative of the Secretary General, select officials of government, representatives of the Council of Chiefs and the Interfaith Mediation Committee and others from civil society should commence a tour of the headquarters and important areas held by all warring factions to deliver the message that the war is over and it is time for disarmament.

Third, the question of cash handout to fighters should be confronted squarely. This is where public education as to what is in store for the fighters though the re-integration phase of the disarmament and demobilization program package becomes important. In addition to the leaders of warring factions, representatives of NGOs such as LOIC, Don Bosco, and others who are involved in training programs, officials of the Ministries of Education, Youth and Sports, and Labor along with representatives of the National Teachers Association, National Adult Education and Literacy Association, and all agencies connected with vocational training and educational programs should join this education crusade directed at combatants. This way, the young fighters will develop hope and become informed about programs in the pipeline which, for them, will be mote enduring than the immediate cash handout they may expect this time. Our Imams and preachers also need to be part of this campaign.

Fourth, at the beginning of the disarmament exercise, the leaders of all warring factions should, in a symbolic gesture, their personal weapons to ECOMOG, and by so doing, dramatically signal the final ending of the war.

Finally, the Liberian people, under the leadership of the Council of State, must raise some funds to help the young men purchase minimum personal effects as they return home to await participation in the re-integration program. Also, while awaiting re-integration, an intermediate program of temporary work needs to be organized. The international community is already prepared to support a temporary public works related program. The Council of State needs to firm up this program through coordination between the appropriate ministries and agencies and the international community.