Apology No One Asked For: CDC Turns LNP’s Mea Culpa into a Damning Indictment

LNP & CDC Logo

Liberia National Police has apologized to the CDC for an unconventional posture of armed police at the CDC Due Payment rally on Sunday, April 12, 2025—something the CDC said it did not ask for and has instead termed a blatant act of intimidation and provocation. Rather than quelling anxieties, the apology has only deepened suspicions and fueled the opposition’s narrative that the police force is being used as a political tool18.

The CDC’s response was scathing and unambiguous: they dismissed the apology as “unsolicited and unwarranted,” accusing the LNP of acting as a political tool for the ruling administration and failing to uphold its statutory duties[2][4]. The party cataloged a litany of abuses—ranging from excessive force at protests to alleged complicity in mysterious deaths and high-profile killings—arguing that the police have become synonymous with brutality and impunity[1][4][5].

Rather than addressing the root causes of public anger, the LNP’s apology only reinforced perceptions of selective accountability and partisanship. The CDC’s leadership pointed to the reinstatement of officers previously dismissed for serious crimes and the lack of transparent investigations into recent deaths as proof that the police are more interested in political theater than genuine reform[1][4][9]. This is not just a partisan talking point: independent surveys and human rights reports consistently highlight widespread corruption, extortion, and unprofessional conduct within the LNP[6][9].

By apologizing to the CDC without substantive action or clear admission of wrongdoing, the LNP inadvertently validated the opposition’s claims of bias and ineptitude. The CDC’s vow to “never again surrender a micro inch” to the police and threats to establish their own security apparatus are a direct consequence of the LNP’s failure to act as a neutral, professional force[1][2][4]. Such rhetoric signals a dangerous erosion of state authority and a slide toward parallel power structures.

The LNP’s apology—far from being a step toward reconciliation—has become a symbol of everything that is broken in the country’s security sector. Until the police confront their own failings with transparency and real reform, no apology will restore public trust or political stability.

____________________________________________________

Get Involved

Do you have additional facts to add to this insight or an opinion you would like to express?

Email Us

analysis@insightsliberia.com

Additional Sources

[1] Liberia: CDC-COP Threatens to Establish a "CDC Police Force" to ... https://frontpageafricaonline.com/politics/liberia-cdc-cop-threatens-to-establish-a-cdc-police-force-to-protect-liberians-from-state-security-officers-brutality-wants-lnp-nsa-and-eps-heads-dismissed/

[2] CDC Accuses Liberia National Police of Political Bias and Human ... https://allafrica.com/stories/202410150282.html

[3] Sorry, CDC, No Apology Here - FrontPageAfrica https://frontpageafricaonline.com/amp/editorial/sorry-cdc-no-apology-here/

[4] CDC ACCUSES POLICE OF POLITICIZATION AND HUMAN ... https://smartnewsliberia.com/cdc-accuses-police-of-politicization-and-human-rights-violations-in-scathing-letter/

[5] CDC CONDEMNS POLICE EXCESSIVE FORCE, LABELS IT ... https://smartnewsliberia.com/cdc-condemns-police-excessive-force-labels-it-suppression-of-protest/

[6] Liberia: Police Corruption Harms Rights, Progress https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/22/liberia-police-corruption-harms-rights-progress

[7] Liberia: CDC, Rep Tokpa Must Make Amends - allAfrica.com https://allafrica.com/stories/201007200742.html

[8] The Power Struggle Between Liberia's Armed Forces and National ... https://lansinginstitute.org/2025/02/28/the-power-struggle-between-liberias-armed-forces-and-national-police-causes-consequences-and-future-scenarios/

[9] Liberians cite corruption, lack of professionalism among police failings