Liberia Civil War

The 1989-1996 civil war had a devastating effect on the country's economy. Most major businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged, and most foreign investors and businessmen left the country. Iron ore production has stopped completely, and Liberia depends heavily on timber and rubber exports and revenues from its maritime registry program. Relatively few foreign investors have returned to the country since the end of the civil war due to the depressed business climate and continuing instability. Timber and rubber are Liberia's main export items since the end of the war. Liberia earns more than $85 million and more than $57 million annually from timber and rubber exports, respectively. Alluvial diamond and gold mining activities also account for some economic activity. ... [Read More]

Liberia

Many believe the civil war has caused a reduction in this practice, estimating that the incidence has dropped to as low as 10 percent. The war caused most of the population to flee to neighboring countries or become internally displaced. Social structures and traditional institutions, such as the secret societies that often performed this procedure as an initiation rite, were also undermined by the war. ...

In 1985, the Liberian National Committee, affiliated with the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) which was called the National Association on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, was set up. It conducted research into the prevention of FGM/FGC and attitudes towards the custom. It also carried out awareness-raising meetings, trained volunteers and provided health training about the harmful effects of this practice. It collaborated with the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs in an effort to integrate awareness of the consequences of the practice into programs for mothers and childcare and primary health care. ... [Read More]

United States Monrovia Liberia Embassy

"As you graduate and prepare for the future, and as I prepare to depart Liberia and return home, perhaps it would be appropriate for us to spend a few minutes together looking backwards as we contemplate how best to move forward."  (complete text) 1111 11Latest Headlines From the Embassy11 11111 ... [Read More]

Liberia

The regular security forces include: The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL); the Liberia National Police (LNP), which has primary responsibility for internal security; the Antiterrorist Unit (ATU), also called the Antiterrorist Brigade (ATB), composed of an elite special forces group; and the Special Security Service (SSS), a large, heavily armed executive protective force. The ATU absorbed Taylor's most experienced civil war fighters, including undisciplined and untrained loyalists. There also are numerous irregular security services attached to certain key ministries and parastatal corporations, the responsibilities of which appear to be defined poorly. The national army, which fought against Taylor's faction during the civil war, has yet to be downsized and restructured as required by the Abuja Peace Accords, due primarily to a lack of funding. In late 2000, a commission to downsize and restructure the army was established with funding allocated at approximately $100,000 (5 million ld). ... [Read More]

Liberia

The CPA, negotiated between the warring parties, the registered political parties, and representatives from civil society, was designed to end several years of active conflict primarily between the Government and LURD. As a political compromise, the CPA suspends certain articles of the Constitution temporarily, but states that articles not in conflict with the CPA remain in effect. The roles of president and vice president were replaced by a chairman and vice chairman, and ministries were apportioned based on political affiliation. The executive branch is headed by a Chairman and Vice Chairman. Ministerial positions are apportioned between members of the former warring parties, the registered political parties, and civil society. The NTGL has a unicameral legislature, the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA), which replaced the Congress in October 2003; Bryant assumed the role of Chairman. ... [Read More]

Liberia

U.S. citizens in Liberia should be aware of their surroundings at all times and use caution when traveling.  Travel anywhere after dark is strongly discouraged.  Due to the potential for violence, U.S. citizens should avoid crowds, political rallies, and street demonstrations and maintain security awareness at all times.  ...

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION:  Liberia is a western African country that has suffered from years of instability and conflict.  In August 2003, negotiations among warring parties led to the departure of former President Charles Taylor, and a national government of transition came into power in October 2003.  Since that time substantial progress has been made in the resettlement of refugees and displaced persons and the reintegration of former combatants.  Reconstruction of the country's infrastructure is ongoing.  Respect for human rights and the rule of law has improved.  Economic development and the elimination of corruption remain problematic.  By most measures, Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world.  Tourism facilities are poor or, in many cases, nonexistent.  ... [Read More]

U.S. Policy Toward Liberia

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am honored to appear before you today to discuss Liberia. For the past year the U.S. government has had three overarching priorities in Liberia: to stop the killing, to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, and to achieve a comprehensive, profound change in the way the country was governed. We have worked long and hard, in cooperation with likeminded Liberians and the international community, in pursuit of these goals. We are greatly encouraged by the results. We actively supported and made possible the successful deployment of West African peacekeepers and played a key role in producing the Accra Accords. We brokered the rebel withdrawal from Monrovia, opening the way for renewed humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of suffering people. We did this with a small--but crucial--military footprint. Liberia has taken the first steps toward stability. Largely through our effor ... [Read More]

Liberia Peace Agreement - US Department of State

Gravely concerned about the current civil war that has engulfed our country leading to loss of innumerable lives, wanton destruction of our infrastructure and properties and massive displacement of our people; ...

All Parties shall provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other relevant national and international agencies with information regarding their prisoners of war, abductees or persons detained because of the war, to enable the ICRC and other relevant national and international agencies visit them and verify any details regarding their condition and status before their release. ... [Read More]

Liberia

Little reliable information is readily available about traditional associated with rital killings. Ritual killings, in which body parts used in traditional indigenous rituals are removed from the victim, continued to occur. The number of such killings was difficult to ascertain, since police often described deaths as accidents even when body parts were removed. Deaths that appear to be natural or accidental sometimes are rumored to be the work of ritual killers. It is believed that practitioners of traditional indigenous religions among the Grebo and Krahn ethnic groups concentrated in the southeastern counties most commonly engage in ritual killings. The victims usually are members of the religious group performing the ritual and body parts are removed from a member whom the group believes to be powerful are believed to be the most effective ritually. Body parts most frequently removed include the heart, liver, and genitals. The rituals have been reported in some cases to entail eatin ... [Read More]

Liberia

There were reports that MODEL rebels killed civilians in Greenville and Harper after capturing these towns from government forces. MODEL fighters summarily executed scores of civilians believed to be government sympathizers. MODEL fighters also reportedly kill officials of Taylor's National Patriotic Party (NPP). MODEL fighters were also reported to have killed persons in River Gee County on suspicion of being members of the progovernment River Gee Defense force. Rebels were responsible for numerous killing during the year. For example, Between July 21 and August 11, LURD forces occupying Bushrod Island allegedly killed, in public, several persons they believed were members of government security forces. Witnesses also reported seeing a number of bodies in the streets of Bushrod Island that appeared to have been killed deliberately, as opposed to accidentally during fighting. On August 6, three bodies were seen near Vai Town Hardware ... [Read More]