Brownie Samukai

Who is Brownie Samukai?

Brownie Samukai is the Minister of National Defence of Liberia. He took office on January 16, 2006, as part of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Cabinet.

In the 1980s he worked within the Liberian Ministry of National Defense. In 1986-87 he was working within the G-4 Branch of the AFL.

In 1991, according to biographical details issued at a 2007 U.S. Institute of Peace briefing, he was appointed as Deputy Minister of Defence for Operations. The biographical details said that he 'was responsible for reestablishing civilian control over the Liberian army and established an urban response team to counter urban terrorism.' He served in this position until 1994.

In 1993-94, he served as commander of the 'Black Berets,' a paramilitary police force in the Monrovia enclave of Amos Sawyer's Interim Government of National Unity. The International Crisis Group also notes that the Black Berets also fought alongside ECOMOG at times, notably during Charles Taylor's 1992 assault on Monrovia. 'They and the AFL were accused of killing some 600 civilians in the June 1993 Camp Carter massacre, which, testimony at the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission has indicated, was perpetuated by Taylor's NPFL fighters, who may have orchestrated it to put blame on the Armed Forces of Liberia.'