MONROVIA – H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia, has by Proclamation declared Saturday, February 11, 2023, as “Armed Forces Day.” The Day is to be observed throughout the Republic as a National Holiday.
The Proclamation further directs all public, business houses and government offices to be closed on that day, and military and paramilitary organizations within the Republic to organize and execute appropriate programs, parades, and ceremonies in recognition of the Day.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, this year’s Armed Forces Day marks the sixty-sixth anniversary and will be celebrated at the Barclay Training Center (BTC) under the theme: “Inter-Agency Collaboration: Working Together for Peaceful Elections”.
The Proclamation further informs that Major General Pablo Estrada, Jr., Commander of the 46 Military Police Command, Lansing, Michigan, United States Army will serve as the Guest Speaker.
The Proclamation is in consonance with an Act of the National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, declaring the 11TH day of February of each year as Armed Forces Day to be observed as a National Holiday.
The release further that the Armed Forces Day celebration is also in recognition of the vital role the Armed Forces of Liberia plays in defending and protecting Liberia’s territorial integrity and its people from foreign aggression and upholding the social and political liberty of the people of Liberia as enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
According to the Presidential Proclamation, special attention and honor will be given to the veterans of the Army and the Coast Guard who have seen active and experienced actual service therein.
“With the passage of the National Defense Act Of 2008, the Armed Forces of Liberia remain steadfast in supporting the foundation for long-term security and economic development in Liberia as well as fostering regional peace through peacekeeping missions for the consolidation of enhancing and strengthening democracy throughout the region”, the presidential Proclamation declares.
The Proclamation stresses that with the view to inculcate a sense of loyalty and patriotism in the citizens of the Nation, as well as to recognize the immense and sacrificial services rendered by the gallant men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia for the protection of a free and democratic State, the government of the Republic of Liberia found it necessary to recognize the talents, services, patriotism, loyalty, and gallantry for the upkeep of this Noble Heritage by those men and women who are now memorialized through the establishment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as ordered by the Act of the National Legislature of Liberia of 22nd July 2008.
The release further quotes the Proclamation as saying with the professional development of the men and women in arms, the Armed Forces of Liberia has been reinvigorated to discharge its constitutional responsibilities of safeguarding the Liberian borders, including being vigilant for possible foreign aggression against the state, as well as directly and technically engaged in road construction efforts, international peacekeeping in Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, and another sector initiative across the Country.
