Hundreds of deactivated security personnel on Thursday took to the street in the commercial city of Paynesville, outside Monrovia in protest of what they called their severance benefits allegedly owed them by government.

 The protesting deactivated officers, who were comprised of former personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the presidential guard Special Security Service (SSS) set road blocks at the ELWA junction thus disrupting the free flow of traffic leading to the Roberts International Airport (RIA) and the route to and from Monrovia as well as the commercial district of Red Light.

 
                 A female ex-AFL soldier in the police custody
 

The violent action of the protesting ex-officers, who were armed with sticks, steel rods, stones and other deadly instruments, also caused hundreds of students, pedestrians, marketers among others in Paynesville community and its surroundings to move freely.

The Chief spokesman of the protesting ex-officers, Mr. Garrison Kayan told our reporter at the violent scene that their action was warranted by the alleged refusal by the government to pay their legitimate severance benefits.

“We have persistently engaged the government to seek our concerns, but our calls fell on deaf ears thus resulting to our violent action”, Mr. Kayan surrounded by some of his colleagues said.

He alleged that there were discrepancies during the deactivation process and that UNMIL and the Security Sector Reform (SSR) did not consider the payment of their benefits.

 “We will continue our demonstration until our concerns are adequately addressed by the government”, he pointed out in a rather angry mood.

He said they want to seek audience with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for a prompt resolution and payment of their severance benefits.

All efforts by Justice Minister Frances Johnson-Morris, President Sirleaf’s Security Advisor Dr. H. Boimah Fahnbulleh and Police Director Col. Beatrice Munah Sieh, who had earlier gone one the scene to persuade  the protesting officers to abandon their demonstration and seek non-violent means in addressing their concerns proved futile.

However, the Jordanian riot police and their Liberian National Police counterparts later moved in and managed to disperse the protesters after they failed to convince them to peacefully leave the street.

The demonstrators were dispersed after the riot police force led by the war tank of the Jordanian contingent of UNMIL began firing tear gas on them.

“The riot police force of both Jordan police and their Liberia National Police (LNP) counterparts engaged the rioters into street battle as the deactivated officers began throwing stones at the riot police forces but were later overpowered and chased between the houses”, our reporter noted.

Our reporter hinted that at least several suspected deactivated police officers were arrested and taken to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP) for interrogation. He added that about three officers of the LNP got seriously wounded and later taken to hospital for treatment.