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President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia has appointed a Nigerian army general, Luka Yusuf, to head the west African country's armed forces.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia has appointed a Nigerian army general, Luka Yusuf, to head the west African country's armed forces.
In a weekend speech marking the country's defense forces day, Sirleaf, who is commander-in-chief of the army, said the nation emerging from 14 years of bitter civil war required external assistance to rebuild its military force.
"I have accepted with immediate effect the appointment of Major General Yusuf of Nigeria and ... have sought and obtained bilateral assistance from the United States of America for the nomination of a senior U.S. military officer from the U.S. army to serve as senior military advisor to the government," she said.
"Our country currently lacks the technical and tactical capacities and proficiency to provide for its own defense and national security," Sirleaf said.
"It was imperative to seek bilateral assistance from Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to nominate a capable and credible officer to serve in such capacity during the restructuring and formation of the AFL (Armed Forces of Liberia)."
Ellen Sirleaf said the appointment of the Nigerian general was part of what she called the 'matrix of options" available for the rebuilding of Liberia's military.
The U.S. government, which is sponsoring the revamping of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), has outsourced the training of a 2,000-strong force to Dyncorp International, a Virginia-based security and aircraft maintenance services firm.
The former Liberian national army was dissolved last year and the U.S. government and recruitment for a revamped army started last month.
The U.S. government maintains close links with Liberia, Africa's oldest republic founded in 1847 when it was settled by freed American slaves.