LIBERIA · DEFENCE
Key Facts
- —The country Liberia is a West African republic founded by freed American settlers and led by President Joseph Boakai, with an army the United States rebuilt.
- —What happened On Monday 19 October 2026 a Moroccan C-130 cargo plane landed near Monrovia with military vehicles and supplies for the Liberian army.
- —The training About 140 Liberian soldiers are expected to fly to Morocco for commando training, the New Dawn newspaper in Monrovia reported on Tuesday 20 October.
- —The pact Liberia and Morocco signed a military cooperation agreement in Rabat on 21 October 2025 covering training, exercises, technical aid and military health.
- —The US link A US programme worth US$285 million, begun in 2006, rebuilt the army, and Morocco has been a US major non-NATO ally since 2004.
- —Still open The cost of the vehicles and training, and the length and place of the commando course, have not been published.
Morocco flew military vehicles and supplies to Liberia on Monday 19 October 2026, and about 140 Liberian soldiers are due to train in Morocco. A Moroccan C-130 Hercules cargo plane landed at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia, the New Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday 20 October.
For US readers, the flights show a Moroccan partner of Washington helping to equip an army the United States rebuilt after the civil wars. The military pact between the two countries was signed in October 2025, and the flights put its promises into practice.
What Morocco Flew In on 19 October
A Moroccan C-130 military transport plane landed at Roberts International Airport, Liberia’s main airport, on Monday 19 October, the New Dawn reported. It was the first of two flights planned between 19 and 22 October to carry equipment and supplies.
The newspaper described the cargo as military vehicles and supplies and gave no figures for either. It said the aircraft are also expected to carry the Liberian soldiers to Morocco.
What the 140 Soldiers Will Train For
About 140 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia, the AFL, are expected to go to Morocco for commando training, the New Dawn said. Commandos are troops trained for raids, patrols and fighting in small units.
FrontPage Africa, a Monrovia news site, reported in September that Morocco agreed to train a company-sized group of Liberian soldiers. It also pledged four vehicles, including a command vehicle, plus training aids.
How the Rabat Agreement Began
Liberia’s Defence Minister, Geraldine George, led a delegation to Rabat, Morocco’s capital, where the two countries signed a military pact on 21 October 2025. Medias24, a Moroccan news site, reported that Abdeltif Loudyi, who oversees Morocco’s National Defence Administration, received her.
The agreement covers training, exercises, technical assistance and military health, and it creates a joint military commission that meets alternately in Rabat and Monrovia. General Mohammed Berrid, inspector general of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, attended the signing.
What Else Morocco Has Promised
The AFL said in September that Morocco will help it set up an air wing, including training for pilots and technical staff. Liberian delegations have also met Moroccan naval authorities about the Liberia Coast Guard, the New Dawn reported.
Military health is a third strand, with exchanges of medical staff and referrals to the Mohammed V Military Hospital. AFL Chief of Staff Major General Davidson Forleh led a visit to Morocco from 6 to 14 September to turn the agreement into programmes.
Who Built the Liberian Army
The AFL is Liberia’s national army, with President Joseph Boakai as commander in chief and Forleh as chief of staff. After the civil wars ended in 2003, the United States set out to build a new force of about 2,000 Liberian soldiers.
In 2010 the US Africa Command said a US$285 million State Department programme, begun in 2006, had recruited and vetted that force. The command also ran a five-year mentoring programme for the AFL, with nearly 50 American service members as mentors.
What It Means for US Readers
Morocco has been a major non-NATO ally of the United States since 3 June 2004, a status with certain benefits in defence trade. Its commando and vehicle support now sits alongside an army that American money built.
The US State Department rates Liberia at Level 2, exercise increased caution, citing violent crime, regular demonstrations and limited health care. It says it is safer to avoid travel at night, and it bars US government staff from travel outside Monrovia after dark.
Liberia is also pursuing a large cocaine-trafficking case against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who denies the charges. A court ordered her arrest on 7 October, as described in an earlier Rio Times report.
For wider background on the country, see the Rio Times guide to Liberia. It covers the economy, politics and what newcomers should know.
What Is Not Known
The cost of the vehicles, supplies and training has not been published, and neither has the length or location of the commando course. The New Dawn gave no count of the vehicles that arrived on 19 October.
Officials in Monrovia and Rabat have not said what role the trained Liberian soldiers will play afterwards. It is also open whether the American mentoring of the AFL continues alongside the Moroccan help.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Morocco deliver to Liberia on 19 October?
A Moroccan C-130 cargo plane landed near Monrovia with military vehicles and supplies for the Armed Forces of Liberia. The New Dawn said it was the first of two flights planned between 19 and 22 October.
How many Liberian soldiers will train in Morocco?
About 140 Liberian soldiers, from the Armed Forces of Liberia, are expected to go to Morocco for commando training. The length and location of the course have not been published.
When did Liberia and Morocco sign their military agreement?
They signed it in Rabat on 21 October 2025, when Liberian Defence Minister Geraldine George visited Morocco. It covers training, exercises, technical assistance and military health.
Why does Morocco training Liberian soldiers matter to the United States?
The United States rebuilt the Liberian army from 2006 under a State Department programme worth US$285 million. Morocco is a US major non-NATO ally, so its help adds to that earlier American work.
Is it safe for Americans to travel to Liberia?
The US State Department rates Liberia at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of violent crime, regular demonstrations and limited health care. It discourages travel outside Monrovia after dark.
Sources: The New Dawn (Monrovia), Morocco Bolsters Liberia’s Military, 20 October 2026; FrontPage Africa, Liberia, Morocco Deepen Military Ties, 14 September 2026; Medias24, Maroc-Liberia: signature d’un accord de coopération dans le domaine militaire, 21 October 2025; US Africa Command, U.S. Military Security Assistance in Liberia Progresses, 27 October 2010; White House archive, Presidential Determination 2004-35 on Morocco, 3 June 2004; US State Department, Liberia Travel Advisory, 18 June 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error