MONROVIA – Professor Alaric K. Tokpa, Acting Chairperson of the Governance Commission of Liberia, has issued a stern call for the disarmament of individuals in illegal possession of firearms, warning that widespread access to guns poses a significant threat to Liberia’s hard-won peace and security.
Speaking during the recent commemoration of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)—the 2003 accord that ended Liberia’s brutal civil war and restored civilian governance—Professor Tokpa emphasized that illegal arms remain prevalent in communities, as evidenced by persistent incidents of armed robbery and violent crimes.
“The fact that we continue to witness armed robbery across the country is proof that some guns remain in the wrong hands,” Prof. Tokpa said. “Those who do not have the legal right to possess firearms must be disarmed immediately. This is essential to fully maintaining the peace and stability envisioned in the Accra Peace Agreement.”
Calls for Continued Peacebuilding and Vigilance
Professor Tokpa, a veteran political activist and one of the progressives who helped shape Liberia’s multiparty democracy, noted that while Liberia has made substantial progress in consolidating peace since 2003, lingering security threats require ongoing vigilance and action from both government and communities.
“Even though we’ve largely succeeded in demobilizing fighters from the civil war era, the recurring waves of violent crime show that the disarmament process remains incomplete,” he said. “Peace must be guarded, and that means removing firearms from those who acquired them illegally.”
Urban Migration and Post-War Challenges
Dr. Tokpa also addressed the complex social consequences of the civil war, including the mass migration from rural Liberia to urban centers like Monrovia. He noted that many war-affected individuals moved to the city without family connections or support networks, often finding themselves in overcrowded and impoverished areas with few economic opportunities.
“In the absence of jobs and education, some victims of the war turned to crime as a means of survival,” he explained. “Overpopulation, unemployment, and urban poverty are all conditions that fuel criminal behavior.”
Call for Holistic Peacebuilding and Development
To prevent further insecurity, Professor Tokpa called for an integrated national approach that includes security reforms, investment in technical and vocational education, and stronger support for agriculture and rural development.
He commended recent government efforts—such as the decentralization of services, expansion of road networks, rural electrification, and water projects—but emphasized that these must be coupled with stronger public-private partnerships to address root causes of instability.
“Liberians overwhelmingly look to the government for job creation, but what’s truly needed is an enabling environment for private sector growth,” he noted. “The government must stimulate private investment that can create real employment opportunities, particularly for young people.”
Tokpa warned that failure to address the social and economic challenges driving insecurity could reverse the progress made since the end of the war.
Background: Liberia’s Disarmament Efforts and the CPA
The Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed on August 18, 2003, ended 14 years of civil war that killed an estimated 250,000 people. The agreement led to the establishment of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL), a disarmament and reintegration program for ex-combatants, and the 2005 democratic elections.
Liberia’s disarmament and demobilization programs, coordinated by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), were widely considered successful. However, critics have long warned that incomplete weapons collection and poor reintegration left some ex-combatants vulnerable to returning to violence or crime—an issue that continues to resurface, especially in economically challenged communities. As Liberia now seeks to deepen its peace gains under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration, Professor Tokpa’s warning serves as a timely reminder that true peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, opportunity, and security for all.
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