Published: March 20, 2026
By Blamo N. Toe and Lennart Dodoo
CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia — With thousands displaced in Lofa and tensions simmering along the Guinea border, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai moved urgently at the Capitol on Thursday to press senators for stronger backing for a security sector increasingly strained by years of tight funding and rising threats.
By Blamo N. Toe and Lennart Dodoo
Behind closed doors Thursday, the president and senators spent more than two hours grappling with a question that has lingered for years but gained new urgency in recent weeks, whether Liberia’s security institutions are adequately resourced to deter threats and respond decisively when diplomacy is strained.
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According to a senior Senate source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the discussions centered heavily on mobilizing legislative support for increased budgetary allocation to the security sector, particularly the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), amid mounting operational demands.
“A major point of discussion was how the Executive and the Senate can collaborate to give national security the attention it needs,” the source said. “The reality is the army does not have everything it needs security-wise.”
Security Takes Precedence Over Formal Agenda
President Boakai arrived at the Capitol Building around 3:00 p.m., following an earlier announcement by Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence that he would address the plenary.
While the official agenda included three items, the controversial “yellow machines” program, Senate observations on the Local Government Act, and the border dispute in Foya, sources say national security quickly eclipsed all other issues.
The president reportedly briefed lawmakers on ongoing diplomatic and security efforts, including measures taken to contain tensions in Lofa County, where recent confrontations have raised fears of a broader regional escalation.
A Structural Problem, Not a Momentary Crisis
Public budget data show that the “Security and Rule of Law” sector has remained largely stagnant as a share of national spending, hovering between 14% and 16% over the past several years, even as nominal allocations increased.
For FY2025, Liberia approved a national budget of US$880.7 million, with approximately US$126.3 million allocated to security and rule of law, about 14.3% of total spending. On a per capita basis, this translates to roughly US$22–23 per person annually, a figure analysts say underscores the sector’s limited fiscal space relative to its mandate.
Even more revealing are execution patterns: in the first quarter of FY2025, only 26.8% of the sector’s annual appropriation was allotted, with about 65.8% of that allotment actually spent—highlighting how cash flow constraints and allotment controls can delay or dilute operational readiness.
Compounding the challenge, donor support to the sector remains modest. Of the projected US$354.7 million in development assistance for FY2025, only US$9 million (2.5%) is earmarked for security and rule of law, leaving the financing burden squarely on domestic revenues.
Public Frustration Over Spending Priorities
Boakai’s Senate visit comes amid growing public criticism of perceived misalignment in government spending priorities.
Citizens and civil society actors have increasingly questioned why legislative compensation and benefits remain high while frontline security institutions, including the AFL, Liberia National Police (LNP), and Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), continue to face resource constraints.
Calls have intensified for lawmakers to reallocate portions of their budget toward equipping security forces, particularly in light of recent developments along the Guinea border.
Policy observers warn that sustained underinvestment risks not only operational inefficiency but also long-term institutional erosion.
Border Tensions Displace Communities
The policy debate in Monrovia is unfolding as conditions deteriorate on the ground in Lofa County.
In Sorlumba Clan, Foya District, thousands of residents have reportedly fled their homes following sightings of Guinean troops near the Makona River, a natural boundary between the two countries.
Entire communities have been disrupted. Schools have suspended classes, markets have slowed, and families, many carrying children and belongings, have relocated to safer areas.
The crisis is rooted in a March 2 incident in which Guinean soldiers allegedly seized equipment belonging to a Liberian company, BK Enterprise, engaged in sand mining along the river.
Although local authorities from both countries later met in Guéckédou to ease tensions, the situation reportedly escalated when Guinean troops raised their national flag in disputed territory—prompting Liberian youths to respond in kind. The symbolic confrontation quickly heightened tensions, underscoring the volatility of the dispute.
Diplomacy Holds, But Pressure Mounts
President Boakai recently joined Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya and Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio in Conakry under the Mano River Union framework, where leaders agreed to pursue a diplomatic resolution and maintain the status quo pending negotiations.
In a national address on March 18, Boakai sought to reassure the public, framing Liberia’s approach as deliberate restraint rather than weakness.
“Our pursuit of peaceful resolution is not a sign of weakness, but rather a demonstration of strength,” he said.
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