Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Monrovia (Fides Service) – Liberia has been in crisis since the 1980s of the last century when a coup led by sergeant Samuel K. Doe, put an end to Afro-American rule. Those rulers were former slaves in America, given their freedom in the 19th century to found a new country in Africa, Liberia in which to live as free citizens. But the new arrivals imposed a rule of oppression on the local people creating a situation of social and economic inequality: 3% of the population (families of ‘American’ origin) possessed most of the country’s wealth.
Doe’s coup marked a crucial turning point because it was the first time that the local people took political power, but it failed to bring stabilisation to the country. Since 1980 a series of coups and political crises have profoundly marked the country. In 1989 Charles Taylor, a descendent of the Afro-American former slaves, started a rebel movement. In 1990 Prince Johnson, a former alley of Taylor, killed president Doe. A period of turbulence followed during which different factions fought ferociously. With the mediation of neighbour countries in 1997 Liberian held elections won by Taylor. His policy foresaw interference in neighbouring countries especially Sierra Leone, where Taylor supported the rebel group RUFF (Front Unit Rivoluzionario). Through Liberia RUF exported diamonds extracted from Liberian mines under its control to fund its military offensives.
As the years passed the Liberian crisis became interwoven with troubles in neighbouring countries: Sierra Leone, Guinea and more recently Ivory Coast. Networks of trafficking of arms, and also diamonds and other resources of West Africa were based in Monrovia.
In 1999, mainly Mandingo formed the LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy), which had the support of neighbouring countries out of retaliation for Taylor’s support to local rebels. Some months later another rebel group MODEL (Movement for Democracy in Liberia) formed and began to operate along the border with Ivory Coast.
Liberia is at the centre of initiatives to end the many wars in West Africa. In September 2002 the United States, Great Britain and France formed a Contact Group for Liberia. And the United Nations, the European Union and the West African Economic Community committed themselves to solving the Liberian crisis. In June 2003 the Liberian government and rebels meeting in Ghana, agreed on a cease-fire scheduled to start 30 days after a definitive peace accord. President Taylor promised to resign when peace was signed. But in a matter of days the agreement failed and fighting resumed on a large scale.
On 11 August 2003 Taylor, pressured by LURD’s advance towards Monrovia and the international community which wanted to take him to court for war crimes in Sierra Leone, decides to go into exile in Nigeria. His place is taken by vice-president Moses Blah. On 18 August 2003 in Accra (Ghana), Liberia’s warring parties sign a peace agreement stipulating the formation of an interim government. The government was installed on 14 October 2003, led by Gyude Bryant. A peacekeeping force was deployed to monitor the cease-fire. (L.M.) (Fides Service 2/2/2004 lines 37 words 487)
