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Liberia: Citizens bleed over humiliation after civil war
Apr 25, 2008
Michael Kpayili
As Liberians in foreign land suffered series of humiliation from their respective host countries, Liberians back home are encountering severe pains from the hands of armed robbers despite the presence of over three thousands unarmed Police backed by over fifteen thousand armed United Nations military personnel.
Although the Liberian Government have consistently declared Liberia safe predicated upon numerous visits of World Leaders including United States President George Bush, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon and other high profile World leaders, ordinary citizens have questioned the level of safety as armed robbers continue to intensify their actions at the disadvantage of innocent and peaceful civilians.
The United Nations recent monthly reports on armed robbery indicated Forty Seven cases of armed robbery with unspecified numbers of rape cases carried on during the robbery. Out of these Forty Seven armed robbery cases, none of the officials of Government was victimized unless ordinary but vulnerable civilians.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has consistently expressed disappointment over actions exhibited by armed robbers but little has been done to curtail such unwholesome practice with a daily increase in the reports of armed robbery in Liberia.
The Liberian National Police which many Liberians considered as “toothless bulldog” is currently without arm except for the Police Officers assigned to the President, Vice President or Officials of Government. As the result of Government failure to adequately curtail the increase wave of armed robbery, robbers who see the weaknesses of Government and the law surrounding armed robbery take advantage of such questionable opportunities. An instance occurred couple of days back in Liberia when perpetrators of armed robbery openly confessed and boastfully admitted of raping a victim of their actions right before the husband of the abused.
How can Liberia be declared a safe country when citizens are not guaranteed of their survival when the nights emerged. Several factors including job insecurity, the failure of Government to fully implement law of the land, weakness of laws attribute to such uncivilized and barbaric attitudes been exhibited against unarmed civilians by armed robbers.
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