Liberia’s new defence minister on Monday resigned from his post just 10 days after being appointed, following a protest by soldiers’ wives.
The resignation marks the first political crisis facing Liberia’s new president Joseph Boakai since his inauguration at the end of January.
Boakai “has received and accepted a letter of resignation from the recently confirmed Minister of National Defence Mr. Prince C. Johnson.
The president swiftly announced a provisional replacement, naming General Geraldine Janet George to the key post.
In his resignation letter, Johnson cited “the current political and civil disturbances occasioned by the protest of women believed to be wives of service men”.
He wished to “preserve the peace and security of the State”, the statement added.
Wives of Liberian soldiers set up roadblocks near the capital Monrovia and elsewhere in the country, forcing Boakai to cancel planned National Army Day celebrations on Monday.
The women were airing multiple grievances ranging from low salaries and pensions, to a lack of social security, electricity shortages and corruption within the armed forces.
They also demanded the defence minister’s resignation, blaming him for a reduction in the salaries of Liberian soldiers returning from peace missions in Mali.
