LIBERIA: REPORTS OF ARMS CACHES - MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 001012 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA-BGRAVES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV MCAP LI SUBJECT: LIBERIA: REPORTS OF ARMS CACHES - MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING ¶1. (U) Recently there have been a slew of headlines in Liberian papers and in some international dailies on "arms caches" being discovered in Liberia and weapons being delivered through the airport. The press accounts have also linked the discoveries of the alleged arms and weapons deliveries to the recent arrests of alleged coup plotters former General Charles Julu and former Speaker during the National Transitional Government (NTGL) George Koukou. Headlines in Liberian papers have used such terms as "insurgents" and "rebels" in connection with the ammunition and weapons discovered. The press accounts are sensationalist and inaccurate and in one case, led to ethnic clashes in Bong County. ARMS CACHES NO MORE THAN SCRAP METAL -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) The first batch of sensationalist reporting, which made its way into international press accounts as a result of Reuters and other Liberia-based stringers feeding stories to the international wire services, concerned the discovery of so-called ammunition and weapons in Gbarnga in Bomi County on August 5. Liberian dailies during the week of August 6-10 published and re-published sensationalist stories on the munitions discovered. ¶3. (SBU) The facts are that the items found consisted of 19 burlap bags of spent casings and unserviceable, rusty, mud-filled cartridges of various calibers discovered at the home of one Muhammad Sharif, a Muslim Mandingo scrap metal dealer in Gbarnga. Approximately one bag of unserviceable AK-47 and pistol rounds were culled from the 19 bags and were transferred to the Liberia National Police Headquarters in Monrovia. Sharif was arrested by the LNP after the discovery. ARMS DELIVERY THROUGH ROBERTS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DESTINED FOR SECURITY SECTOR REFORM PROGRAM -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) A second alarmist report of arms coming into the country occurred with an August 8 press account in the Liberian daily, "New Vision," which claimed that 71 boxes of arms had come in through the airport and were consigned to the attention of a Training Officer at SSR. This press account sought to link this arms shipment through RIA to the munitions discovered in Gbarnga and spin it all into some web of insurgents planning attacks around the country. ¶5. (U) This reporting also was misleading in suggesting the arms would be used by insurgents. While it is true that 71 boxes of munitions came into Liberia through RIA, they were in fact destined for the US-funded SSR program being carried out by American contractors Dyncorps and PAE. The shipment was approved by both the UN and ECOWAS. ¶6. (U) While this second story of weapons coming through RIA was quickly clarified by Dyncorps and had no press "legs," the first account of munitions at the home of a Mandingo in Gbarnga resulted in inter-ethnic violence and an attack on a mosque. KPELLE-MANDINGO CLASHES AFTER REPORTS OF ARMS CACHES -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) When word of the discovery of "ammunition" at the home of a Mandingo in Gbarnga spread among the local population a group of 300-400 Christian Kpelle congregated at the home of Sharif, the scrap metal dealer, and began throwing stones and attempted to set the house ablaze. Concurrently, several individuals from the mob broke away and attempted to attack the Gbarnga city mosque, which was being guarded by 25-30 Muslim Mandingos. Crowds of both Muslim Mandingos and Christian Kpelle gathered into the streets until the Bangladesh Battalion (BANBATT 11),supported by UN Police, the LNP, and a UN Formed police Unit (FPU) were able to restore control and disperse the crowds. ¶8. (SBU) Tension between the Muslim Mandingos and the Christian Kpelle tribes is a longstanding issue in Gbarnga. The Mandingos, a Muslim tribe primarily concentrated along the border with GUINEA are a commercially-minded community of traders and merchants. Their relative prosperity and isolation from Christian communities often causes resentment among other ethnic groups. The tension culminated in October 2004 when a large number of Mandingos were targeted and killed and their property destroyed. Most Mandingos have returned but there are ongoing disputes over ownership of land. There are reports that Mandingos are increasingly frustrated by their displacement and a slow and dysfunctional judicial system unable to process their land claims. Other tribes are fearful that the Mandingos will forcibly try to reclaim lands. ¶9. (SBU) What has concerned UNMIL security personnel was the alacrity with which the news of a discovery of unusable empty MONROVIA 00001012 002 OF 002 cartridges and rusty, mud-filled munitions spread through the community and how quickly ethnically-based violence ensued. A UN report on the incident urges the local administration in the area to work more diligently to mitigate ethnic tensions in the area and the need for the judicial system to resolve stagnating land disputes. This incident further demonstrates the fragility of the state and the ongoing need for a robust UN peacekeeping presence in Liberia. BOOTH