Ghana to Train Liberian Soldiers(Page 3) July 28, 2008

Story: Michael Donkor, Monrovia, Liberia
Ghana and Liberia have signed an agreement by which Liberian soldiers will be trained by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
The Minister of Defence, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, signed the agreement on behalf of the government, while the Liberian Minister of Defence, Mr Brownie J. Samukai, signed on behalf of the Liberian government.
The agreement will allow Ghana to officially train Liberian soldiers in basic military skills, offer advance courses for its officers in Ghana and send some personnel of the GAF to Liberia to train its soldiers.
The move forms part of Ghana’s efforts to assist in the reconstruction of Liberia.
Mr Kan-Dapaah said Ghana played a meaningful role towards ending the crisis in Liberia because it considered that country a sister country, noting that the challenge facing Liberia now was how to ensure that peace and security were maintained in that country.
He said it was based on this that the government agreed to train Liberian soldiers by organising basic military courses for non-commissioned officers and advance courses for officers both in Liberia and Ghana.
He said some men of the GAF had already been to Liberia to start training Liberian soldiers and gave the assurance that the GAF would provide proper efficient training for the Liberian soldiers.
Mr Kan-Dapaah said without proper and adequate security, no serious investor would invest in Liberia and the excellent human resource that country had outside would also not return to that country.
He said the GAF was in the best position to undertake the task because of its experience and track record, adding that
the government was prepared to respond to any request that Liberia would make for the reconstruction of that country.
Mr Samukai thanked the government of Ghana for its kind gesture and said the government and people of Liberia were happy for the assistance.
He said some Liberian soldiers were already tapping the skills and expertise of their counterparts in Ghana and noted that the move was to help replicate the sustained peace that Ghana had enjoyed over the years in Liberia.
Earlier, Mr Kan-Dapaah had visited the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC), which is the second largest producer of rubber in that country.
He was taken through the process of working on the liquid product to its finished stage before it was exported.