Monrovia - On 24 February 2017, as part of UNMIL’s continued efforts to raise awareness on the criminal accountability of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) soldiers, the AFL conducted a half-day training on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Justice, which sets out the modalities for members of the AFL to be subjected to the jurisdiction of civilian courts for serious crimes.

The event, which took place at the AFL Edward Binyah Kesselly (EBK) Barracks, was attended by around 150 soldiers of different ranks of the 23rd infantry battalions and supporting components.

The UNMIL facilitator, Samuel Opoku-Agyakwa, delivered a lecture on the scope and applicability of the MOU, including the process of arresting soldiers by AFL’s Military Police and the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the soldier’s right of legal representation. He noted that the MoU is an interim measure and supplements existing internal disciplinary procedures in place to ensure accountability within the AFL pending the entry into force of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The UNMIL Rule of Law and Security Institutions Service Officer, Germana Dalberto, informed UNMIL will to support joint LNP and AFL workshops will be delivered in the coming days with the objective to enhance the relationship between both institutions.