Robtel Neajai Pailey and Thomas Jaye

UNMIL

The UNMIL draw down will test Liberia's ability to maintain peace ahead of crucial elections scheduled in October 2017, within a region that is increasingly volatile. The elections will mark the country's first post-war transition from one civilian government to another. So, the stakes are quite high. But Liberia cannot continue to rely on external peacekeepers for this all important transition period.