County Superintendents undergo National Security Sector Reform Training
Photo Credit: MIA
Buchanan, May 21, 2019:Count Superintendents of the 15 Counties are meeting in the port city of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County for phase two of Security Sector Reform Leadership Seminar Series.
The seminar brings together the Superintendents who are also Chairpersons of the county Security Council established in each county with a focus sustaining the gains with the security architecture of Liberia.
County Security Council, a replica of the National Security County which is headed by the President, is among requirements of the National Security and Intelligent Act of 2011.
During the four-day seminar which is expected to end on May 24th, the participants would have an understanding of key ‘Rule of Law’ principles and ethical leadership skills, the Liberia peacebuilding architecture, early warning & early response mechanism and the concept of County Peace Committee, among others.
The superintendents will also brainstorm on challenges facing the security sector in their respective counties and suggest recommendations for possible steps aimed at mitigating the challenges.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the seminar is being conducted by National Security Council Secretariat and the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Internal Affairs Honorable Varney A. Sirleaf challenged County Superintendents to take charge of County security because according to him security is everyone’s business and a priority of Government.
Minister Sirleaf said he requires a high degree of leadership from County Superintendents in collaboration with security institutions and citizens of communities and counties.
The Internal Affairs Minister encouraged the participants to pay attention to the details of the presentations during training, noting that Superintendents must be proactive and network with all security agencies operating in their counties.
Speaking earlier, Elisabeth Hårleman, Head of Development Cooperation of the Swedish Embassy near Monrovia said the training exercise is part of technical support from Sweden to Liberia’s Security Sector Reform (SSR)
She said Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) is one of two development programs being run in Liberia as part of bilateral cooperation with Liberia. The FBA is the Swedish government agency dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of international conflict and crisis managements, with a particular focus on peace operations.
For his, National Security Advisor Honorable Jefferson Karmoh said the training exercise is necessary to strengthen a deeper understanding of the County Superintendents on the SSR.
Two staff of the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy; Mans Hansen and Juliana Huus are facilitating the training, along with National Security Sector Reform coordinator Samuel Darkna and the Executive Director of the Liberia Peacebuilding Office Edward K. Mulbah.