SIERRA LEONEAN PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA BIO WANTS AFL TO UPHOLD DEMOCRACY AND STAY ABOVE POLITICS
By Sylvester Choloplay
February 11, 2025
Monrovia: As Liberia celebrates 68th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has urged men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia to remain above politics and steadfast in their commitment to the Constitution and democratic Governance.
Pres. Bio words carried weight, not only as a sitting head of state but as a former soldier who has seen absolute military intervention in political affairs “Upholding the rule of law.
Serving as keynote speaker at 68th anniversary of AFL he said
“Defend constitutional Governance and remain above politics, let your loyalty be to the people, the Constitution, and the democratic institutions that form the foundation of this great nation,” admonishing AFL officers, Government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps.
The theme of this year’s Armed Forces Day is:
Under the theme “Sustainable Peace and Security through Stakeholder’s Engagement, the Role of the Armed Forces”. Pres. Bio’s call for the military to remain nonpolitical, which is particularly significant in West Africa, a region where military coups and unconstitutional changes of government have resurfaced in recent years.
“From Mali to Guinea and Burkina Faso, the military’s involvement in politics has often led to instability rather than progress. Liberia’s own history serves as a stark reminder. The 1980 military coup that toppled the Tolbert administration, the subsequent civil wars, and the long struggle to rebuild democratic institutions have cemented a national consensus: military interference in governance is a path to destruction” he noted.
President Bio encourage Liberia’s armed forces to resist any temptation to be drawn into political disputes. “History has shown us that when the military aligns with democratic values, nations prosper; when it deviates, societies falter,” he warned.
In the years since Liberia emerged from war, the AFL has worked hard to rebuild its reputation as a professional, disciplined force under civilian authority. With the restructuring of the military after the 2003 peace agreement, the AFL was built from the ground up with an emphasis on merit-based recruitment, training, and strict adherence to democratic principles.
Beyond Liberia, President Bio highlighted the role of national armies in ensuring regional peace and stability. He said Sierra Leone, like Liberia, has experienced the horrors of war and the painstaking journey to rebuild a nation additionally he noted that both countries have had civil war experience, running down the regime of ex-President Charles Taylor.
According to him the two countries now share not just a border but a common commitment to democracy and regional security, particularly through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU). “In a world where democracy is constantly challenged by forces of division, conflict, and instability.
“I charge you, the gallant men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia, to stand firm as guardians of the democratic order,” President Bio emphasized. President Bio’s speech concluded by urging the AFL to be the shield that protects, not the sword that divides and be the force that ensures stability and not the one that undermines it.
