PHOTO: Maj. Gen. Davidson Forley, Chief of Staff, AFL, at the activation program
The Liberian government has reportedly paid one point four million United States Dollars (US$1.4M) to a company for the shipping of the US$20 million heavy duty equipment donated to the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) by the African Union (AU), as Augustine Octavius reports.
AFL Chief of Staff, Major General, Davidson Forley, disclosed that a company in Cameroun has confirmed the receipt of the money for the shipment.
Gen. Forleh made the disclosure at the program marking the activation of the First Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and the AFL Signal Company at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia on Tuesday.
The AFL Chief of Staff said he will be traveling to attend the African Union Chief of Staff conference in Nairobi, Kenya later this week and upon his return he will be travelling to Cameroun to facilitate the shipment of the equipment.
Meanwhile, members of the United Nations have praised the Armed Forces of Liberia for the roles it played in peace keeping in Mali and other areas of deployment in recent years.
The Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of National Defense, Augustus Larmin, disclosed that the Federal Republic of Germany was very appreciative of the AFL soldiers considering that the Liberian Army is just being restructured after years of conflict.
According to Minister Larmin, members of the United Nations made the commendations when Liberia pledged its commitment of contributing to the peace keeping of the UN mission on the universe.
Minister Lamin, on behalf the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, assured the AFL that all will be done to ensure that they are given the basic equipment in the discharge of the statutory mandate.
Also speaking during the program, the Assistant Chief of Staff of the AFL, Lieutenant Colonel, Robert Jadoe, described the soldiers in the First Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and the AFL Signal Company as pioneers of these units.
According to him, the activation of these two units in the AFL represents a new dimension in the Liberian Army operational doctrine because the integration of armored capacities, this battalion will provide reconnaissance both on the ground and in the air by conducting surveillance in gathering critical intelligence and respond rapidly to emerging threats.
The activation ceremony was graced top brass of the Armed Forces of Liberia and senior officials at the Ministry of National Defense.