MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The Armed Forces of Liberia Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Davidson Forleh, says the drug epidemic and the militarization of young people by political forces are two factors affecting the fabric of the Liberian Society.
According to Brigadier General Forleh, drug abuse among young people in Liberia has reached critical levels, describing the situation as a national crisis that threatens the future of the country.
Brigadier General Forleh:” Too often Liberian youth are being manipulated and used as instruments of political conflict, drawn into violent rhetoric and hateful political engagements.”
According to a Global Action for Sustainable Development report, there are over eight hundred sixty-six ghettos across Liberia, with an estimated one hundred thousand substance users.
In his keynote address to the 25th Graduating Class of the Zion Assemblies of God High School, the Chief of Staff disclosed that the Military will only attract physically fit, drug-free, decent and well-mannered young men and women in the Army.
Brigadier General Davidson Forleh cautioned graduates to reject the allure of drugs and resist the militarization of their minds, pursue education and venture into entrepreneurship and innovation, and fostering new paths for themselves as the surest way to making meaningful impact on Liberia.
In another development, the Armed Forces of Liberia is expected to begin a three-day paramilitary drill to Monday, October 21, 2024, in Monrovia.
The exercise will also involve live ammunition training, among others.
The drill is aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the Joint Security in the near future, and the AFL assured that it remains professional and a force for good.
The Army is urging the citizens and residents to stay calm during the three-day paramilitary drill, emphasizing that there no cause for alarm.
By: Anthony Williams/Frederick Teegwiah, Jr.
