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Mapping Study on Gender and Security Sector Reform Actors and Activities in Liberia Cecil Griffi Ths

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Mapping Study on Gender and Security Sector Reform Actors and Activities in Liberia Cecil Griffi Ths Mapping Study on Gender and Security Sector Reform Actors and Activities in Liberia Cecil Griffi ths DCAF DCAF a centre for security, development and the rule of law About the Author Cecil Griffiths served in the Liberia National Police from 1980 to 1997 in different capacities including as detective, chief statistician, police instructor, administrative assistant to the director of police, and chief of planning and research. He was a criminal justice instructor for ten years at the AME Zion University College in Liberia. Cecil Griffiths is the founder and president of the Liberia National Law Enforcement Association, and the founder of the National Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Liberia. He is also the director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research and Education and the coordinator for the Liberia Civil Society Working Group on Security Sector Reform. In addition, he presides over the Musicians Union of Liberia, and Chair of Musicians United for Peace, Democracy and Development In Africa. Cecil Griffiths has an academic background in statistics, journalism and professional writing, criminal investigation and evidence, music and paralegal studies. He is presently studying criminology with the Cambridge Open College. Editors Anike Doherty and Aiko Holvikivi of DCAF The Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) LINLEA is a non‐partisan and non‐profit organisation representing the interests of Liberian law enforcement personnel. It provides a national platform for the exchange of information among police officers, immigration and fire service personnel, corrections officers and industrial and private security personnel. Through its core programmes LINLEA promotes and enhances professionalism in Liberia’s security sector institutions (SSIs); monitors SSIs’ compliance with accepted standards relating to professional conduct and respect for human rights; advocates for improved working environments for security sector personnel; and protects the rights of Liberian law enforcement personnel. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) is one of the world’s leading institutions in the areas of security sector reform and security sector governance. DCAF provides in‐country advisory support and practical assistance programmes, develops and promotes appropriate democratic norms at the international and national levels, advocates good practices and conducts policy‐related research to ensure effective democratic governance of the security sector. Visit us at www.dcaf.ch Cover images from top: Liberian National Police graduation ceremony 17 January 2009 © Christopher Herwig/UNMIL; Platoon of female soldiers stand in formation during Liberia’s 59th Armed Forces Day event 11 February 2010 © Lydia M. Davey, U.S. Marine Sgt. Cover design: Christopher Thornton (DCAF) ©DCAF 2011. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978‐92‐9222‐170‐6 Cite as: Cecil Griffiths, Mapping Study on Gender and Security Sector Reform Actors and Activities in Liberia, ed. Anike Doherty and Aiko Holvikivi (Geneva: DCAF, 2011). MAPPING STUDY ON GENDER AND SECURITY SECTOR REFORM ACTORS AND ACTIVITIES IN LIBERIA Cecil Griffiths The Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA) conducted this study from November 2010 to March 2011 in cooperation with the Liberian Ministry of Justice, the Liberian Ministry of Gender and Development, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (now part of UN Women), the United Nations Mission in Liberia and the Civil Society Security Sector Reform Working Group. LINLEA and DCAF held a workshop in Monrovia on 31 March 2011 to validate the findings of the study. Gender and SSR Actors and Activities in Liberia Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank the editors as well as Miranda Gaanderse, Audrey Reeves and Daniel de Torres for reviewing and commenting on this paper. He also thanks Kristin Valasek for the initial project idea and Beverly Youmans for providing language editing support. Additionally, he extends thanks to all of the institutions that contributed to the data collection. These include: Angie Brooks International Centre, Armed Forces of Liberia, Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Bureau of Customs and Excise, Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, Carter Center, Catholic Relief Services, Child Fund International, Civil Society Working Group on SSR, Danish Refugee Council, Drug Enforcement Agency, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Governance Commission, Independent National Human Rights Commission, International Alert, International Center for Transitional Justice, International Rescue Committee, Liberia Anti‐Corruption Commission, Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association, Liberia National Fire Service, Liberia National Law Enforcement Association, Liberia National Police, Liberia Reconstruction and Development Committee, Mano River Women’s Peace Network, Medica Mondiale, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Finance (Bureau of Customs and Excise), Ministry of Gender and Development, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Security, Monrovia City Police, National Bureau of Investigation, National Democratic Institute, National Legislature, National Security Agency, National Security Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, Office of National Security Advisor, Special Security Services, Swedish Embassy, UN Children’s Fund, UN Development Fund for Women (now part of UN Women), UN Mission in Liberia, West African Network for Peacebuilding/Women in Peacebuilding and Women NGO Secretariat. iv Gender and SSR Actors and Activities in Liberia TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................. vii 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background: Security Sector Reform in Liberia 2004 – 2011 ................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ................................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Poverty Reduction Strategy ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1.3 National Security Strategy of the Republic of Liberia ..................................................................... 2 1.1.4 Gender and security sector reform in Liberia ................................................................................ 2 1.2 Rationale and objectives of this study ................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Summary of findings ........................................................................................................................... 4 3. Gender and SSR actors and activities in Liberia .................................................................................... 6 3.1 Core security providers .......................................................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Police ............................................................................................................................................. 7 3.1.2 Armed Forces of Liberia ................................................................................................................ 12 3.1.3 Intelligence and Security Services ................................................................................................ 15 3.1.4 Drug Enforcement Agency ............................................................................................................ 17 3.1.5 Border guards (Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization) ........................................................ 17 3.1.6 Customs authorities (Bureau of Customs and Excise) .................................................................. 23 3.1.7 Liberia National Fire Service ......................................................................................................... 25 3.1.8 Private military and security companies ...................................................................................... 25 3.2 Core justice service providers .............................................................................................................. 26 3.2.1 Criminal Investigations, the Judiciary and Corrections ................................................................ 26 3.3 Institutional management and oversight bodies ................................................................................ 30 3.3.1 National Security Council ............................................................................................................. 30 3.3.2 National Legislature and legislative committees .......................................................................... 30 3.3.3 Ministry of Justice ......................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.4 Ministry of National Defense ........................................................................................................ 34 3.3.5 Ministry of Gender and Development
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