Liberia's 1st postwar police officers on active service

Spokesman for Liberia's national police force Ansumana Kromah declared Monday the first UN-trained police force have been put on active service the same day in the capital city of Monrovia.

The 123 officers have wrapped up a 9-month training and took their new posts in the capital city on Monday, he said, adding that the government will see to it that more police officers be sent to inland areas.

The officers underwent a series of training courses on police tactics, including public order maintaining, traffic directing, criminal and civil case investigation and human rights protection, according to relevant reports.

The UN mission to Liberia planned to finish training of the 1,800 police officers to be deployed around the country before the general elections in October. They also promised to help the new government set up a 3,500-strong police force by the end of 2006.

Liberia suffered a civil war of 14 years since 1989 before its ex-president Charles Taylor fled the country and a peace accord was stricken between the government and two armed opposition factions in August 2003.

Following the peace agreement, the United Nations sent a peace-keeping force of 15,000, including 1,000 police officers.

Source: Xinhua