MONROVIA - Liberia's Justice Minister Christiana Tah has expressed confidence in the ability of security to respond appropriately to any threat when UNMIL phases out of the West African country, but said it will need time to prepare for such eventuality.

Addressing journalists Sunday after a closed-door meeting with the visiting UN Security Council delegation, which arrived the previous day to review progress made in the implementation of the mandate of UNMIL, Tah said the Liberian government has been training its security personnel to ensure that peace is sustained and achieved in the country.

The Liberian attorney-general informed the UN delegation that the government was working on erecting security hubs in the leeward counties to decentralize the security sector and make it relevant to the needs of the people.

"The UN has agreed to build the security hubs and the one in Gbarnga, central Liberia will be operational this year while plans are underway to construct three others," Madam Tah added.

She expressed concern about the timing of UNMIL's phasing out, adding that it should take into consideration other factors. "You can't invest hugely and allow it to collapse," the official said.

Minister Tah said about 6,000 police officers are expected to be trained and prepared to be fully deployed prior to the phasing out of UNMIL.

On concerns raised by the visiting delegation about the rehabilitation of prisons, she said the government was taking measures to address the poor state of Liberian prisons.