At least one person has been badly wounded after a group of soldiers from the Armed Forces of Liberia, went on the rampage in the slipway community in central Monrovia to enforce the government of Liberia declared state of emergency.
Eyewitnesses told FrontPageAfrica online that the incident which started around 6:30 pm Thursday April 16, 2020 saw soldiers in two pickup trucks inculcating distress in the community as residents were seen running for their lives.
According to defense sources commander in charge of the troop was immediately recalled by AFL chief of Staff Major General Prince C. Johnson III and will face the full weight of the law consistent with Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The report also gathered that the soldiers entered the home of a woman pulled her outside and inflicted bodily harm.
President George Manneh Weah declared a three-week state of emergency beginning April 10 to curb the spread of the coronavirus which the Liberian legislature is currently reviewing for approval.
A face book post quoted that eyewitnesses were able to identify one of the attacks by the name on his uniform as Lt. L.S. Koon.
Major General Johnson said all the men involved in the attack have been recalled and are undergoing investigation. “We will investigate tomorrow. I need more information for my military police to conduct further investigation”, he told Font page Africa.
The action by the soldiers violates the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Under the code soldiers are forbidden from engaging in attacks on civilians.
Article 92 (failure to obey lawful order or regulation); Article 128 (assault); and Article 93 (cruelty and maltreatment).
The AFL has in recent time taken a zero-tolerance approach against soldiers running afoul of the UCMJ.
Last month, two soldiers – SSG Keita Musa and Cpl. Jugbe Peter were dishonorably discharged in line with Chapter 7, Section 7.7 (j) of the New National Defense Act of August 2008.
Last June, the board of investigation of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) found Corporal Sieh Collins guilty for a message he posted on his social media account, in which he threatened to kill people who might get on the streets on June 7 to protest in Monrovia and its environs.
Since the imposition of the state of emergency members of the joint security enforce the state of emergency declared by the president on April 8, 2020 have been accused of Mal-handling of some residents of Monrovia during the lock-down hours.
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