Ministry of National Defense (Liberia)

Ministry of Defence of Liberia
Agency overview
Formed	25 February 1955; 69 years ago
Jurisdiction	Government of Liberia
Headquarters	Barclay Training Center, Monrovia
Minister responsible	Major General Geraldine George (acting), Minister of Defense;
Agency executives	Tibli Olandrus Dickson., Deputy Minister for Administration;
Website	mod.gov.lr

The Ministry of National Defense is the government ministry responsible for the maintenance of the national defense and the governance of the military of Liberia, the Armed Forces of Liberia.

History

An amendment to the Liberian Constitution allowed the previously named War Department to be renamed the Department of National Defense on February 25, 1955.^[3] Then, during the early years of President William Tolbert's Administration after 1971, all departments were renamed Ministries and thus the organization became the Ministry of National Defense. Retired General Ziankahn remains the Minister of Defence.^[4]

List of ministers^[5]

Secretaries of War and the Navy (1848-1971)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1848-1876)
Reginald A. Sherman (1876-1892)
Colonel Anthony D. Williams, Jr. (1892-1900)^[6]
George B. Padmore
Robert T. Sherman
Wilmot H. Dennis
Columbus Harris
Isaac Moart
James F. Cooper
B.W. Payne
James W. Cooper
Momolu Massaquoi
Joseph Dennis
Henry Reed Cooper
J. Foulton Dunbar
Wilkins Tyler
Isaac Whisnant
Ernest C.B. Jones
Ernest J. Yancy
Harrison Grisby
Robert A. Brewer (c. 1967-1971)^[7]

Ministers of Defense (1971-present)

Everett Jonathan Goodridge ()^[8]
Allen H. Williams ()^[9]
Harry A. Greaves (1976–1978)
M. Burleigh Holder (1978–1979)
James Y. Gbabee (1979–1980)
Samuel Bennie Pearson (April 1980-1981)
Albert Karpeh (1981-1982)
Grey Dio-Glaye Allison (1982^[10]-August 1989^[11])
J. Boima Barclay (1989–9 September 1990^[12]^[13] )
J. Hezekiah Bowen (1995–1997^[14])
Daniel Chea (1997–2006), as National Transitional Government of Liberia Defense Minister^[15]
Brownie J. Samukai (2006–2017)
Major General Daniel Ziankahn (22 January 2018-9 February 2024)^[16]
Prince C. Johnson III (9 February 2024-12 February 2024)^[17]
Brigadier General Geraldine J. George (13 February 2024-)^[18]

Building

The Ministry's three-story building used to be located on Benson Street in downtown Monrovia, but upon the conclusion of the DynCorp army training effort in Liberia, moved to the Barclay Training Center, also located in central Monrovia, in July 2009. In early August 2009 the Ministry's Comptroller was dismissed, apparently for misappropriating US$50,000 intended for paying soldiers of the rebuilt AFL.^[19]

References

^ http://www.mod.gov.lr/content.php. http://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/en/component/content/article/4-cat-mc-news/653-art-mc-new-09-02.html, accessed 2018
^ http://www.mod.gov.lr/content.php?/forum/viewtopic/id/375 ^{[dead link‍]}
^ 'Looking at the LNG Brigade,' Armed Forces Day Brochure, 1973-74, Ministry of National Defense, via University of Liberia Library.
^ Ministry, Front page
^ "About the MOD – Ministry of National Defense". Retrieved 2022-12-27.
^ Liberia. American Colonization Society. 1897.
^ Pathé, British. "Liberia: Nation Celebrates 120 Years Of Independence". www.britishpathe.com. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
^ Dunn, Beyan & Burrowes 2000.
^ "The original documents are located in Box 34, folder "State Dinners - 9/21/76 - Liberia" of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library" (PDF).
^ Dunn, Beyan & Burrowes 2000, p. 112.
^ Stephen Ellis, The Mask of Anarchy, Hurst & Co., London, 2001, p.118 or 255. Allison was charged and later convicted of ritual killing. Ellis cited Kappel and Korte, Human Rights Violations in Liberia 1980–90: A Documentation, Liberia Working Group, Bremen, 1990, pp.223-5
^ Huband 2013, p. 134.
^ Williams 2002, p. 129.
^ Ministry of National Defense (Liberia), Armed Forces Today, Vol. 2, No.1, February 11, 2008, p.21-23. Note that this list is a composite of both the MND listing and Dunn, Beyan, and Burrowes. Dunn et al list Pearson and Karpeh which the MND does not.
^ "TLC Africa Internet Magazine". www.tlcafrica.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004. Retrieved 2019-09-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ New Dawn (23 January 2018). "Liberia: Weah Appoints Army Chief of Staff As Minister". AllAfrica. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
^ RFI (14 February 2024). "Liberia: les femmes de militaires obtiennent la démission du ministre de la Défense". Radio France International. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ News Central Africa (14 February 2024). "Liberia Appoints Brig. Gen. Geraldine George First Female Defence Minister". News Central Africa. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ Corruption at Ministry of Defense? (Comptroller Sacked for 'Eating' US$50,000 Soldiers' Pay ), August 9, 2009

Dunn, Elwood D.; Beyan, Amos J.; Burrowes, Carl Patrick (2000). Historical Dictionary of Liberia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9781461659310.
M. Burleigh Holder, "The Hand of God," Xlibris Corporation, April 2006.
Huband, Mark (2013). The Liberian Civil War. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781135252144.
Williams, Gabriel I.H. (2002). Heart of Darkness. Trafford Publishing.

External links

[1] ttp://www.mod.gov.lr/content.php. http://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/en/component/content/article/4-cat-mc-news/653-art-mc-new-09-02.html, accessed 2018

[2] ttp://www.mod.gov.lr/content.php?/forum/viewtopic/id/375 ^{[dead link‍]}

[3] 'Looking at the LNG Brigade,' Armed Forces Day Brochure, 1973-74, Ministry of National Defense, via University of Liberia Library.

[4] Ministry, Front page

[5] "About the MOD – Ministry of National Defense". Retrieved 2022-12-27.

[6] Liberia. American Colonization Society. 1897.

[7] Pathé, British. "Liberia: Nation Celebrates 120 Years Of Independence". www.britishpathe.com. Retrieved 2022-12-27.

[FOOTNOTEDunnBeyanBurrowes2000-8] Dunn, Beyan & Burrowes 2000.

[9] "The original documents are located in Box 34, folder "State Dinners - 9/21/76 - Liberia" of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library" (PDF).

[FOOTNOTEDunnBeyanBurrowes2000112-10] Dunn, Beyan & Burrowes 2000, p. 112.

[11] Stephen Ellis, The Mask of Anarchy, Hurst & Co., London, 2001, p.118 or 255. Allison was charged and later convicted of ritual killing. Ellis cited Kappel and Korte, Human Rights Violations in Liberia 1980–90: A Documentation, Liberia Working Group, Bremen, 1990, pp.223-5

[FOOTNOTEHuband2013134-12] Huband 2013, p. 134.

[FOOTNOTEWilliams2002129-13] Williams 2002, p. 129.

[14] Ministry of National Defense (Liberia), Armed Forces Today, Vol. 2, No.1, February 11, 2008, p.21-23. Note that this list is a composite of both the MND listing and Dunn, Beyan, and Burrowes. Dunn et al list Pearson and Karpeh which the MND does not.

[15] "TLC Africa Internet Magazine". www.tlcafrica.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004. Retrieved 2019-09-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

[16] New Dawn (23 January 2018). "Liberia: Weah Appoints Army Chief of Staff As Minister". AllAfrica. Retrieved 5 February 2022.

[17] RFI (14 February 2024). "Liberia: les femmes de militaires obtiennent la démission du ministre de la Défense". Radio France International. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[18] News Central Africa (14 February 2024). "Liberia Appoints Brig. Gen. Geraldine George First Female Defence Minister". News Central Africa. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[19] Corruption at Ministry of Defense? (Comptroller Sacked for 'Eating' US$50,000 Soldiers' Pay ), August 9, 2009

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