INDEPTH: LIBERIA
A brief history
CBC News Online | Jan. 16, 2006
Monrovia |
As slavery waned in parts of the U.S., leaders began looking for places to send large numbers of newly emancipated slaves. Colonization societies were founded to transplant these people into their own colonies in Liberia. The first ex-slaves arrived in West Africa around 1820
As the colony grew, so did its desire for recognition on the world stage. Liberia declared independence in 1847. While Great Britain was quick to recognize the new country, the U.S. did not formally recognize Liberia until 1862.
Only a small fraction of the country's population was made up of former slaves. Ninety-five per cent of the people were members of various tribes that had lived in the area for generations. Yet the former slaves dominated the economy and the government – and it remained that way for 150 years.
In the early 20th century, Liberia had slavery problems of its own. In 1929, an international commission accused the Liberian government of enslaving some pre-colonial inhabitants for its own financial gain. As a result, forced labour was abolished in 1936.
In the years following, the country prospered as it became an important source of rubber for the United States and Great Britain, especially during the Second World War. That good fortune faded somewhat in later years and, toward the end of the century, unrest in the country grew, beginning with the rice riots of 1979 that left 40 people dead.
Indigenous Liberians were demanding power.
FORMER PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR
- Born in 1948.
- Studied in the United States.
- Returned to Liberia in 1980 after Samuel Doe mounted Liberia's first successful coup d'etat.
- Ran the General Services for Doe's regime, which meant he controlled Liberia's budget.
- Successfully deposed Doe, with the help of powerful allies, such as Col. Gadhafi of Libya.
- Elected president of Liberia in 1997.
- Agreed to resign on Aug. 11, 2003.
In 1980, President William R. Tolbert Jr. was assassinated in a coup orchestrated by Samuel K. Doe. Doe led a force of army officers who were members of the country's indigenous tribes.
Doe forged close ties with the United States and secured substantial amounts of aid in exchange for trade agreements that gave Washington exclusive rights to the country's rich resources.
Within six years, Doe and his followers established a new constitution. He also banned newspapers and political parties. He crushed his political opponents.
By 1989, civil war had broken out. A year later, Doe was overthrown and killed by one of the rebel factions. The fighting between groups vying for control of the country dragged on until 1996. A year later, Charles Taylor was elected president.
Unlike Doe, Taylor is descended from former American slaves. He was educated in the United States and is a lay preacher in the Baptist tradition.
But Taylor's grip on the country began to unravel within a couple of years of his election win. In 1999 – at the United Nations – there were allegations that Taylor was a gunrunner and a diamond smuggler. He was accused of fomenting rebellion in neighbouring Sierra Leone. Anti-government fighting broke out in northern Liberia in 1999 as well.
PRESIDENT ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEAF
- Born in 1938.
- Harvard-trained economist.
- Assistant minister of finance in President William Tolbert's government, 1979.
- Sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1985 for criticizing regime of President Samuel Doe.
- Lived in exile in Kenya until 1997.
- Finished second in 1997 election, with 10 per cent of the vote.
- Charged with treason by President Charles Taylor.
- Played active role in transitional government after Taylor's resignation.
- Won November 2005 presidential election, becoming first female head of state in Africa.
By 2003, Taylor was coming under increasing international pressure to quit as rebels rapidly gained the upper hand. In June 2003, the UN issued a warrant for his arrest for war crimes. A month later, U.S. President George Bush twice said Taylor had to go. Taylor said he would, only if American peacekeepers moved in. On Aug. 11, he agreed to go into exile in Nigeria.
The toll on the country had been great: 14 years of civil war left more than 200,000 people dead and more than 800,000 displaced. The country's infrastructure was in ruins.
A transitional government took over, paving the way for a presidential election in November 2005, which was won by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first female head of state in Africa.
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Population: 3,288,198 (July 2002 estimate)
Capital: Monrovia
Government type: Republic
Major languages: English is the official language (20%); the remainder of the population mostly speaks 20 or so ethnic languages
Major religions:
Indigenous beliefs 40%
Christian 40%
Muslim 20%
Location: West Africa, bordered by Atlantic Ocean, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire
Area: 111,370 sq. km
Life expectancy: 51.8 years
Natural resources: Iron ore, timber, diamonds and gold
Source: CIA World Factbook
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