IPNEWS: Lawmakers  on Capitol Hill have called on the Chief of Staff (COS) of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Brigadier General Davidson Forley, to “step down” due to his inability to effectively command and control officers of the national.

The outrage of the lawmakers, who hail from Montserrado, Nimba, and Gbarpolu, is a result of an incident that took place recently at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) where a detachment of the army was involved in a scuffle with officials and members of the former ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) who had gone to welcome former President George Weah.

Nimba County District #7 Representative and Chairman on the House’s Committee on National Security, Rep. Musa Bility; the House’s Chairman on Elections and Inauguration, Gbarpolu County District #2 Representative Luther Collins and the House’s Co-Chairman on Defense, Montserrado County District #10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah called on the AFL’s COS to tender in his resignation as the action of his men brought embarrassment to the country and invoke memories of the brutal nature of the national army in the past.

The lawmakers made the remarks Tuesday, July 16 July following a communication from COS Forley in which he said that did not authorize the action of the AFL detachment commander at RIA—and that the commander unilaterally mandated soldiers to engage without his knowledge or didn’t even inform the appropriate superior commander, who would have notified the AFL High Command.

Rep. Bility said this showed that the “Chief of Staff isn’t in control or can’t control the soldiers under his high command.”

Rep. Collins added: “We can’t have a Chief of Staff who can’t be notified by a single detachment about an action that will embarrass the country.”

The firebrand Kolubah buttressed his colleagues, with a shout, “Enough is enough, the Chief of Staff must resign.”

It could be recalled that on Saturday, July 13, the RIA was swarmed by a mammoth crowd of sympathizers and supporters of former President Weah who had gone to welcome him. The crowd reportedly became uncontrollable, and their unruly actions escalated into chaos, as they attempted to breach the airport terminal.

It may be recalled, the Honorable House of Representatives (HOR) has summoned officials from the Ministries of Defense and Justice, the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the Presidential Security Advisor, and the AFL Commander at Roberts International Airport (RIA) for a meeting on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

According to the House’s Press Bureau, these officials are expected to address the deployment of armed AFL officers at RIA during the recent arrival of former President George Manneh Weah.

This decision, made on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, follows a communication from Montserrado County District 9 Representative Frank Saah Foko. He expressed concerns over the significant AFL presence among peaceful citizens welcoming former President Weah at the airport.

“Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, this troubling scene recalls our nation’s dark past when soldiers were unlawfully deployed against rebels. Liberia is currently a peaceful and democratic example in Africa. We are not at war or in a state of emergency, which legally prohibits military action against peaceful citizens simply by greeting their political leader,” Representative Foko stated.

He emphasized that Articles 85 and 86 of the Liberian Constitution govern military deployment during emergencies, prohibiting the use of lethal force against citizens in peacetime. He also referenced the National Defense Act of 2008, which mandates the AFL to defend Liberia’s sovereignty, respond to external threats and natural disasters, and participate in international peacekeeping.

Representative Foko voiced concerns about the AFL’s airport deployment in a non-emergency situation, which instilled fear among citizens. He also highlighted an incident where former President Weah was allegedly denied VIP Lounge access, a courtesy for former heads of state, which Jibrin Ibrahim Barau, First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Commission, raised.

AFL Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Davidson Fayiah Forleh, reported that the AFL detachment commander at RIA acted upon a request from the airport’s security coordinator, without notifying his superior, to support airport security until the arrival of the Liberian National Police (LNP). As a result, the commander has been recalled, and an investigation initiated.