US ends six-year military mission in Liberia

The United States has ended its six-year Operation Onward Liberty (OOL) mission in Liberia targeted at training the West African country’s armed forces to be well equipped for the country’s security.

Deployed since 2010, the mission comprised of U.S. Marines, Army, Air Force and the National Guard offered training from infantry to staff operations, the U.S. embassy in Liberia said in a statement on Thursday.

“The AFL (Armed Forces of Liberia) has made great strides since its reconstitution in 2005 and is now a professional and capable force; in light of the progress achieved, OOL was able to successfully conclude its mission,” the statement added.

The U.S. ambassador to Liberia, Christine Elder praised the country for its readiness to handle its own security citing the recent end of the United Nations Mission in Liberia and the Ebola response mission, the Liberia News Agency (LINA) reports.

She promised that there will be further military cooperation between the two countries, it added.

On the part of Liberia, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Daniel Ziankahn expressed gratitude for the programme which has improved the country’s military, LINA added.