Senate Security Committee Chair alarms of threats from illegal migrants from Burkina Faso.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia, May 15, 2025 – The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs, Senator Momo Tarnuekollie Cyrus, raises serious concern here about increasing presence of illegal immigrants from Burkina Faso in Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties, warning that their activities pose potential threats to national security.
Speaking during a Senate briefing on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, as the 55th Legislature resumed business for its second quarter, Senator Cyrus alarmed over what he described as deeply troubling behavior exhibited by the illegal immigrants.
“No foreign national should be allowed to operate above the laws of our land,” Senator Cyrus underscores.
According to him, reports indicate that the Burkinabè nationals are allegedly engaging in unauthorized farming activities and illegal logging, particularly pit-sawing, in protected forest areas.
He details that there have been disturbing incidents of maiming associated with these migrants, which he notes, clearly violates Liberian laws and threaten community safety.
The Senator reveals that he has already engaged the Ministry of Justice and Liberia’s Joint Security apparatus to launch a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
He emphasizes a need to determine whether the activities of the Burkinabè community in the two counties constitute a direct national security threat.
“If findings from the Ministry of Justice and the Joint Security confirm that these actions undermine our national stability, I will seek the indulgence of the Liberian Senate to mandate the Armed Forces of Liberia, through the Executive, to take immediate and decisive action to protect our nation’s sovereignty,” he urges his colleagues in the Senate.
Senator Cyrus says Liberia, as a sovereign state, must not tolerate activities that risk its territorial integrity, especially, when carried out by non-citizens operating outside the legal framework of the country.
At the same time, he reaffirms his commitment to safeguarding Liberia’s sovereignty and ensuring that the nation’s laws are upheld uniformly and without exception. He warns that any action or behavior that threatens Liberia’s peace and security will be met with swift and lawful responses.
In addition, Senator Cyrus announces that the Liberia National Police is in the process of acquiring fifteen 4×4 pickup vehicles, one for each of the fifteen counties, as part of a broader initiative to enhance law enforcement capability and improve the responsiveness of police services nationwide.
“The provision of logistics to our police force is essential in enhancing security presence and responsiveness in all counties,” he adds.
Cyrus reaffirms the Senate’s dedication to collaborating with the Executive Branch and national security institutions to maintain Liberia as a peaceful and secure nation governed by the rule of law. Editing by Jonathan Browne
