By Mark Rogers
September 23, 2026
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched a five-day border security training workshop for security officers in Grand Cape Mount County as part of efforts to strengthen border management and security along Liberia’s western frontier.
The training began Monday, September 21, in Tewor District and will run through Friday, September 25. A second phase is scheduled for Bopolu City, Gbarpolu County, from September 28 to October 2, 2026.
The workshop brings together approximately 25 officers from the Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), and Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), drawn from border communities and operational areas along the Liberia-Sierra Leone border.
The training is being conducted under the GOLA-REAP Project — Resilience, Empowerment, Access and Peacebuilding, a cross-border initiative jointly implemented by IOM and the World Food Programme (WFP), with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).
The project covers Tewor and Porkpa Districts in Grand Cape Mount County and Kongba District in Gbarpolu County.
According to organizers, the initiative seeks to strengthen social cohesion, improve border management, support local governance, and promote climate-smart agriculture within the Gola Forest landscape as part of broader efforts to reduce conflict risks and strengthen economic resilience in border communities.
Facilitators for the training include representatives from the Liberia Immigration Service, Liberia Peacebuilding Office, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and IOM.
Speaking to correspondents on Monday, Osborne Tate, Director of Training and Manpower Development at the Liberia Immigration Service, said the training is expected to improve participants’ understanding of the Integrated Border Management system.
Tate encouraged participants to share the knowledge and skills gained during the workshop with colleagues in their respective assignments.
Meanwhile, Charles Cummings, Commander of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency in Porkpa District, pointed to several challenges affecting security operations along the border.
He cited limited mobility, poor road conditions, inadequate electricity supply, and weak communication networks as some of the major constraints confronting security personnel in border communities.
Also speaking, Emmanuel Tarr, Trafficking in Persons Coordinator at the Liberia Immigration Service, and Ansumana Kromah, Liberia National Police Commander assigned in Bo-Waterside, expressed optimism that the training would meet its objectives and equip participants with practical skills to improve border security operations.
The organizers say the training forms part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation among security institutions and communities while promoting peace and resilience across Liberia’s border areas.
