 My name is Jennifer Cook. I'm Director of the Africa Program at CSIS. We're here today with Minister Brownie Samakai, Defense Minister of Liberia. And we're delighted to welcome you here to CSIS. We've had a good discussion about security sector reform in Liberia. Minister Samakai, you've essentially overseen the rebuilding of the Liberian Defense Forces, really from scratch, beginning in 2003. Can you give us a sense of progress and where you are at this point? Well, the initial goal in 2000, when the new government was coming, was to train about 2,000 soldiers. We pretty much have done that. We've given in the rudimentary training of the basic training, individual training. We're building up the MOS's at this point in time. We're then building up the cadre of non-commissioned officers and officers as well. We have gotten our first set of captains after five years. Now they're not going to the command colleges. We have one that are going there. So there's an MOS development. There is a cadre of non-commissioned officer development, and it's a cadre of maintaining and managing those equipment that we have. And then the planning process on forecasting and different kinds of scenario conflicts, how to respond and do that. So at present, I think we are very glad that after five years of engagement with the U.S. and training, Liberia have been able to assume that responsibility since 2010. So we are, I think we are making progress in terms of building the institution at the level we want it to be. Now, Liberian defense forces have been a problem in past administrations. Tell us how this one's different. Well, the difference here is that right now, there's no individual who joined the armed forces of Liberia who was recommended by anyone. So it is strictly an order of merits. Strictly an order of merits, strictly a broad-based institution. It's not political, it's strictly on a more professional kind of entry into the armed forces. It must be a high school graduate with a YF, West African Design and Nation certificate. It must be setting criteria for recruiting, for vetting process, both your human rights record, your engagement in the community, a dinosaur texting. Medical is a whole not yet involvement of the community. So what you have is an institution being built where individuals are coming with a clear loyalty to the state and not to any individual, not to any institution, not to any tribe. And there's no political interference in terms of who goes into the AFL or who gets promoted. I think it's more institutional now than it was in the past. And you've done this, Liberia has done this in the midst of security problems that are unfolding and the one most imminent right now is the crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire, which is right on the eastern border of Liberia. How worried are you about violence in Cote d'Ivoire? Well, there are certain dimensions that affect us directly based on the proximity of Liberia and La Cote d'Ivoire. On Cote d'Ivoire along the border. All of our villages and resources that are there overwhelmed by the influx of refugees who have a humanitarian crisis and come with thousands of people you have the law enforcement problem in the process. So that is putting a lot of pressure on Amiga resources we have to deploy our immigration personnel to deploy the humanitarian aspect of that. And then I had the same time to deploy police in order to deal with the humanitarian aspect. Now with armed elements across the border side creates a new concern for us. So their intention to remain on our side or as to whether at some point in time incidents or conditions may provoke either party to want to cross the border that is a concern to us. But we believe that Liberia has no intention to undertake any action or make it appear to be belligerent to any of those forces neither to provoke any incident at all. So we've been only responding in a manner that is more appropriate on humanitarian response on the law enforcement response and of the control of goods and services that are coming along the border. It is a concern though that as the crisis get prolonged over any any support and involvement of international community to define an unmeasurable solution it creates a burden on Amiga resources that we have as we head into elections you believe it creates another concern for us. So yes it is a concern for us at this one U.S. has had a long engagement in Liberia but particularly since 2006 in security sector reform right I think you've said that's being positive but what what more are you looking to the international community for? Well I mean the process is not complete the process is ongoing we don't allow for the armed forces we're doing some for the Liberia national police not on law enforcement but what about the immigration we should play a major part in policing all of the border crossing points into the country that institution need to go through a reform process and also there's what we call capacity gaps in those institutions to be able to fill in those roles that are precedent being performed effectively by the United Nations. When the transition process with the UN gets completed how does the government of Liberia take on those responsibilities those are the kind of challenges because the UN still has 9,000 yeah pretty much it has that exactly that amount of troops and not only troops but also the way with or in the support element for a recurrent ability to maintain its operation we have a challenge as to how we can sustain that much more provide equipment provide resources you know from the meager budget budget that the government has so it is extremely important that we remain engaged with the international community so they can bring support to complete other elements of the security sector reform process and I think it is key that we should not let the process win heavily on one side on the armed forces and lead the police lead the immigration lead the customs and other services that are actually needed to complete this whole this whole package but again we are thankful that at least we were able to get support from the international community initially led by the United States and we hope that we can get additional support to help these other institutions as well I want to thank you for being here with us today for speaking on the panel co-hosted with the U.S. Institute of Peace and we'll welcome you back to Washington I hope in the near future thank you very much I greatly appreciate it thank you