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108-625: The INPFL was formed by Prince Johnson after a leadership dispute with NPFL leader Charles Taylor over his authority as self-proclaimed head of the National Patriotic Reconstruction Assembly Government (NPRAG), an alternative government that was based in the Bong County town of Gbarnga . Initially estimated at less than 500 troops, the INPFL was a significant force in the early stages of

216-676: A Freedom of Information bill , the first legislation of its kind in West Africa. In recognition of this, she became the first sitting head of state to receive the Friend of the Media in Africa Award from The African Editor's Union. On 1 April 2011, Sirleaf told reporters that she planned to charge an opposition candidate with sedition for organizing a rally protesting corruption in the government. Her press secretary later clarified that

324-538: A Master of Public Administration . She returned to her native Liberia to work in the administration of William Tolbert , where she was appointed as Assistant Minister of Finance. Whilst in that position, she attracted attention with a "bombshell" speech to the Liberian Chamber of Commerce that claimed that the country's corporations were harming the economy by hoarding or sending their profits overseas. Sirleaf served as Assistant Minister from 1972 to 1973 in

432-403: A red notice regarding Taylor, suggesting that countries had a duty to arrest him. Taylor was placed on Interpol's Most Wanted list , declaring him wanted for crimes against humanity and breaches of the 1949 Geneva Convention , and noting that he should be considered dangerous. Nigeria stated it would not submit to Interpol's demands, agreeing to deliver Taylor to Liberia only in the event that

540-784: A Gaddafi-funded armed uprising from the Ivory Coast into Liberia to overthrow the Doe regime, leading to the First Liberian Civil War . By 1990, his forces controlled most of the country. That same year, Prince Johnson , a senior commander of Taylor's NPFL, broke away and formed the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). In September 1990, Johnson captured Monrovia , depriving Taylor of outright victory. Johnson and his forces captured and tortured Doe to death, instigating

648-490: A UN embargo against arms sales to Liberia at the time, these weapons were largely purchased on the black market through arms smugglers such as Viktor Bout . Taylor was charged with aiding and abetting RUF atrocities against civilians, which left many thousands dead or mutilated, with unknown numbers of people abducted and tortured. He was also accused of assisting the RUF in the recruitment of child soldiers . In addition to aiding

756-601: A bill that would carry a term of ten years in prison for homosexual activity, while a similar bill was introduced in the House of Representatives . On 19 March, Sirleaf addressed the issue, saying that she would not repeal the current law but would also not sign into law either of the two proposed bills. Sirleaf added, "We like ourselves just the way we are [...] We've got certain traditional values in our society that we would like to preserve." According to Tiawan Gongloe, Liberia's former Solicitor General, "If she tried to decriminalise

864-530: A cessation of hostilities. The nation held the 1997 general election , which Sirleaf returned to Liberia to contest. She ran as the presidential candidate for the Unity Party and placed second in a controversial election, getting 25% of the vote to Charles Taylor's 75%. After controversy about the results and being accused of treason, Sirleaf left Liberia and went into exile in Abidjan , Ivory Coast. After

972-586: A correction to its story: "'Nobel peace prize winner defends law criminalising homosexuality in Liberia' was updated to restore material cut in the editing process. The restored material clarifies the stance that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is taking on laws concerning homosexuality in Liberia. That is: she refuses to dismantle the existing anti-sodomy law, while also saying she will refuse to sign two new bills that would toughen laws on homosexuality." The comments, letter, and clarification suggest that she considered

1080-598: A few days later. In July 2003, LURD initiated a siege of Monrovia, and several bloody battles were fought as Taylor's forces halted rebel attempts to capture the city. The pressure on Taylor increased as U.S. President George W. Bush twice that month stated that Taylor "must leave Liberia". On 9 July, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo offered Taylor exile in his country on the condition that Taylor stay out of Liberian politics. Taylor insisted that he would resign only if U.S. peacekeeping troops were deployed to Liberia. Bush publicly called upon Taylor to resign and leave

1188-411: A former military commander, testified that Charles Taylor celebrated his new-found status during the civil war by ordering human sacrifice, including the killings of Taylor's opponents and allies that were perceived to have betrayed Taylor, and by having a pregnant woman buried alive in sand. Marzah also accused Taylor of forcing cannibalism on his soldiers to terrorize their enemies. In January 2009,

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1296-733: A getaway car to Staten Island in New York, where Taylor disappeared. All four of Taylor's fellow escapees, as well as Enid and Toweh, were later apprehended. In July 2009, Taylor claimed at his trial that US CIA agents had helped him escape from the maximum security prison in Boston in 1985. This was during his trial by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. The US Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed that Taylor first started working with US intelligence in

1404-625: A joint meeting of the United States Congress , asking for American support to help her country "become a brilliant beacon, an example to Africa and the world of what love of liberty can achieve." Sirleaf has also strengthened relations with the People's Republic of China , reaffirming Liberia's commitment to the One-China policy . In return, China has contributed to Liberia's reconstruction, building several transmitters to extend

1512-689: A motion by Taylor's defence team, who argued that their client could not get a fair trial there and also wanted the Special Court to withdraw the request to move the trial to Leidschendam. On 15 June 2006, the British government agreed to jail Taylor in the United Kingdom in the event he was convicted by the SCSL. This fulfilled a condition laid down by the Dutch government , which had stated it

1620-541: A plea of not guilty. In early June 2006, the decision on whether to hold Taylor's trial in Freetown or in Leidschendam had not yet been made by the new SCSL president, George Gelaga King . King's predecessor had pushed for the trial to be held abroad because of fear that a local trial would be politically destabilizing in an area where Taylor still had influence. The Appeals Chamber of the Special Court dismissed

1728-410: A result of the boycott, Sirleaf won the second round with 90.7% of the vote, though voter turnout significantly declined from the first round. Following the election, Sirleaf announced the creation of a "national peace and reconciliation initiative," led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee , to address the country's divisions and begin "a national dialogue that would bring us together." She took

1836-466: A trial summary, Taylor's due process rights would be violated by preventing him from submitting a trial summary. The appeals court ordered the trial court to accept the summary and set a date for the beginning of closing arguments. On 11 March, the closing arguments ended, and it was announced that the court would begin the process to reach a verdict. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson , 29 October 1938)

1944-514: A violent political fragmentation of the country. The civil war turned into an ethnic conflict , with seven factions among indigenous peoples and the Americo-Liberians fighting for control of Liberia's resources (especially iron ore, diamonds, timber, and rubber). Amos Sawyer alleges that Taylor's aims extended beyond Liberia—that he wanted to re-establish the country as a regional power player. Taylor's ambitions, which were held from

2052-493: A warrant for extradition to face charges of embezzling $ 1 million (~$ 2.48 million in 2023) of government funds while he was the GSA boss. Taylor fought extradition with the help of a legal team led by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark . His lawyers' primary arguments before US District Magistrate Robert J. DeGiacomo stated that his alleged acts of lawbreaking in Liberia were political rather than criminal in nature and that

2160-939: Is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Sirleaf was born in Monrovia to a Gola father and Kru -German mother. She was educated at the College of West Africa . She completed her education in the United States , where she studied at Madison Business College , the University of Colorado Boulder , and Harvard University . She returned to Liberia to work in William Tolbert's government as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1971 to 1974. Later, she worked again in

2268-661: Is internationally known as Africa's Iron Lady, due to her political prowess. She resigned from this role in 1997 in order to run for the presidency of Liberia. During her time at the UN, she was one of the seven internationally eminent persons designated in 1999 by the Organization of African Unity to investigate the Rwandan genocide , one of the five Commission Chairs for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, and one of

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2376-504: The 2011 Libyan civil war , Sirleaf added her voice to the international community who asked the previous Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi to cease the use of violence and tactics of political repression. However, she criticized the international military intervention in Libya, declaring that "violence does not help the process whichever way it comes". Her government later severed diplomatic ties with Libya, stating that "The Government took

2484-595: The G-8 headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel provided $ 324.5 million to paying off 60% of Liberia's debt to the International Monetary Fund , crediting their decision to the macroeconomic policies pursued by the Sirleaf administration. In April 2009, the government successfully wrote off an additional $ 1.2 billion in foreign commercial debt in a deal that saw the government buy back

2592-561: The Liberia Broadcasting System nationwide and constructing a new campus for the University of Liberia . Sirleaf is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders , an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development. During

2700-739: The Special Court for Sierra Leone . That year, he resigned, as a result of growing international pressure; he went into exile in Nigeria . In 2006, the newly elected President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , formally requested his extradition. He was detained by UN authorities in Sierra Leone and then at the Penitentiary Institution Haaglanden in The Hague , awaiting trial by the Special Court. He

2808-566: The U.S. State Department . On 6 August, a 32-member U.S. military assessment team were deployed as a liaison with the ECOWAS troops, landing from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit , commanded by Colonel A.P. Frick, from three U.S. Navy amphibious ships waiting off the Liberian coast. On 10 August, Taylor appeared on national television to announce that he would resign the following day and hand power to Vice President Blah. He harshly criticized

2916-534: The status quo for gay rights in Liberia to be one of de facto tolerance until the recent controversy, and did not support decriminalization of homosexuality, but also refused to support further criminalisation of homosexual acts which was being attempted in Liberia. She reaffirmed this view during an interview with Tony Blair. Upon her election to office, Sirleaf made her first foreign trip as President to neighboring Ivory Coast , meeting with Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo in an attempt to repair relations between

3024-673: The 1980s but refused to give details of his role or US actions, citing national security. Taylor escaped the United States without issue. He then resurfaced in Libya where he took part in militia training under Muammar Gaddafi , becoming Gaddafi's protégé. He later left Libya and travelled to the Ivory Coast , where he founded the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). In December 1989, Taylor launched

3132-589: The 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania . The indictment was unsealed during Taylor's official visit to Ghana , where he was participating in peace talks with MODEL and LURD officials. As result, the possibility arose that Taylor might be arrested by Ghanaian authorities; in response, Taylor's chief bodyguard and military commander Benjamin Yeaten threatened to execute Ghanaians who lived in Liberia, deterring Ghana's government from taking action. With

3240-650: The 22nd president of Liberia from 2 August 1997 until his resignation on 11 August 2003 as a result of the Second Liberian Civil War and growing international pressure. Born in Arthington , Montserrado County , Liberia , Taylor earned a degree at Bentley College in the United States before returning to Liberia to work in the government of Samuel Doe . After being removed for embezzlement and imprisoned by President Doe, Taylor escaped prison in 1989. He eventually arrived in Libya , where he

3348-581: The African Regional Office of Citibank . She resigned from Citibank in 1985 following her involvement at the 1985 general election in Liberia. She went to work for Equator Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC . In 1992, Sirleaf was appointed as the director of the United Nations Development Programme 's Regional Bureau for Africa at the rank of assistant administrator and assistant secretary general (ASG). She

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3456-708: The Agriculture Department and Sirleaf pursued a career in the Treasury Department (Ministry of Finance). They divorced in 1961 because of James' abuse. Sirleaf returned to college to finish her bachelor's degree. In 1970, she earned a BA in economics from the Economics Institute of the University of Colorado Boulder , where she also spent a summer preparing for graduate studies. Sirleaf studied economics and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School from 1969 to 1971, earning

3564-512: The Commission's recommendations. During an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in 2010, Sirleaf argued that the implementation of the TRC's recommended ban would unconstitutionally violate her right to due process . In October 2010, the chairman of Sirleaf's Unity Party, Varney Sherman , argued that implementation of the recommendation would be unconstitutional, as Article 21(a) of

3672-578: The Constitution prohibits ex post facto laws, and Sirleaf had broken no law by financially supporting Taylor that imposed a ban from public office as a penalty. In January 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in Williams v. Tah , a case brought by another person recommended for being banned from public office in the TRC report, that the TRC's recommendation was an unconstitutional violation of

3780-551: The Doe government by Thomas Quiwonkpa on 12 November 1985, Sirleaf was arrested and imprisoned again on 13 November by Doe's forces. Despite continuing to refuse to accept her seat in the Senate, she was released in July 1986. She secretly fled the country to the United States later that year. At the beginning of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989, Sirleaf supported Charles Taylor 's rebellion against Doe. She helped raise money for

3888-649: The Executive Mansion on 26 July 2006, seriously damaging the structure. An independent panel formed to investigate the incident ruled out arson, attributing the fire to an electrical malfunction. Sirleaf's government called funding for the repair of the mansion a low priority in the face of more pressing needs, with Sirleaf transferring her office to the nearby Foreign Ministry building and choosing to live at her personal home in Monrovia. On 26 July 2007, Sirleaf celebrated Liberia's 160th Independence Day under

3996-630: The HIPC initiative, qualifying it for relief from its entire external debt. That same month, the World Bank and IMF agreed to fund $ 1.5 billion in writing off the Liberia's multilateral debt. On 16 September, the Paris Club agreed to cancel $ 1.26 billion, with independent bilateral creditors canceling an additional $ 107 million, essentially writing off Liberia's remaining external debt. Sirleaf vowed to prevent unsustainable borrowing in

4104-515: The Interim government headed by C. Gyude Bryant. In their final report, issued in June 2009, the TRC included Sirleaf in a list of 50 names of people that should be "specifically barred from holding public offices; elected or appointed for a period of thirty (30) years" for "being associated with former warring factions." The proposed ban stemmed from her financial support of former President Taylor in

4212-622: The Liberian legislature to introduce tougher laws targeting homosexuality." The letter added "the status quo in Liberia has been one of tolerance and no one has ever been prosecuted under that [current] law," and went on to hint at future possible liberalization stating that "the President thinks that with the unprecedented freedom of speech and expression Liberia enjoys today, our budding democracy will be strong enough to accommodate new ideas and debate both their value and Liberia's laws with openness, respect and independence." The Guardian published

4320-483: The Nobel Peace Prize to Sirleaf four days prior to the election sparked criticism from opposition parties, with Congress for Democratic Change candidate Winston Tubman calling the award "undeserved" and "a political interference in our country's politics." Sirleaf called the timing of the award a coincidence and avoided mentioning the award during the final days of campaigning. Sirleaf garnered 43.9% of

4428-449: The President of Liberia requested his return. On 17 March 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , the newly elected President of Liberia, submitted an official request to Nigeria for Taylor's extradition . This request was granted on 25 March, whereby Nigeria agreed to release Taylor to stand trial in the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL). Nigeria agreed only to release Taylor and not to extradite him, as no extradition treaty existed between

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4536-470: The RUF in these acts, Taylor reportedly personally directed RUF operations in Sierra Leone. Taylor obtained spiritual and other advice from the evangelist Kilari Anand Paul . As president, he was known for his flamboyant style. Upon being charged by the UN of being a gunrunner and diamond smuggler during his presidency, Taylor appeared in all-white robes and begged God for forgiveness, while denying

4644-544: The Tolbert administration. She resigned after a disagreement about government spending. Subsequently, she was appointed as Minister of Finance a few years later, serving from 1979 to April 1980. Master Sergeant Samuel Doe , a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group, seized power in a military coup on 12 April 1980; he ordered the assassination of Tolbert and execution by firing squad of all but four members of his Cabinet. The People's Redemption Council took control of

4752-565: The United Nations' peacekeeping mission, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia , along with a contingent from the Economic Community of West African States . Taylor won the election in a landslide, garnering 75 percent of the vote. Although the election was generally regarded as free and fair by international observers, Taylor had a significant advantage from the outset. During the civil war, he seized virtually all of

4860-640: The United States in his farewell address , saying that the Bush administration 's insistence that he leave the country would hurt Liberia. On 11 August, Taylor resigned, with Blah serving as president until a transitional government was established on 14 October. Ghanaian President John Kufuor , South African President Thabo Mbeki , and Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano , all representing African regional councils, were present at his announcement. The U.S. brought Joint Task Force Liberia 's Amphibious Ready Group of three warships with 2,300 Marines into view of

4968-421: The United States in the event of his acquittal by the SCSL. Taylor's counsel cited the leaked cable and the court's decision as evidence of an international conspiracy against Taylor. On 3 March, the appeals court of the SCSL overturned the trial court's decision, ruling that as the trial court had not established that Taylor had been counseled by the court and personally indicated his intent to waive his right to

5076-715: The West, for the World Bank in the Caribbean and Latin America . In 1979, she received a cabinet appointment as Minister of Finance, serving to 1980. After Samuel Doe seized power in 1980 in a coup d'état and executed Tolbert, Sirleaf fled to the United States . She worked for Citibank and then the Equator Bank. She returned to Liberia to contest a senatorial seat for Montserrado County in 1985, an election that

5184-510: The [current anti-gay] law it would be political suicide." In a letter to The Guardian, Sirleaf's press secretary challenged the portrayal of her remarks in the media saying that: "There currently exists no law referencing homosexuality in Liberia, and as such the President could not be defending a law on homosexuality. The President is on record as saying [...] that any law brought before her regarding homosexuality will be vetoed. This statement also applies to an initial attempt by two members of

5292-535: The backing of South African president Thabo Mbeki and against the urging of Sierra Leone president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah , Ghana consequently declined to detain Taylor, who returned to Monrovia. During Taylor's absence for the peace talks in Ghana, the U.S. government was alleged to have urged Vice President Moses Blah to seize power. Upon his return, Taylor briefly dismissed Blah from his post, only to reinstate him

5400-447: The charges. He was reported to have said that "Jesus Christ was accused of being a murderer in his time." During the last four years of Taylor's presidency, he is believed to have stolen and diverted nearly $ 100 million, amounting to roughly half of total government revenue. In 1999, a rebellion against Taylor began in northern Liberia, led by a group calling itself Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). This group

5508-565: The civil war period into his presidency, not only resulted in the domestic Liberian conflict, they also triggered regional instability which manifested itself in the forms of the Sierra Leone Civil War and unrest in the forest region of Guinea . After the official end of the civil war in 1996, Taylor ran for president in the 1997 general election . He campaigned on the notorious slogan "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him." The elections were overseen by

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5616-644: The civil war. Following a peace deal that ended the war, Taylor was elected president in the 1997 general election as a member of the National Patriotic Party (NPP). During his term of office, Taylor was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity as a result of his support for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group in the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002). Domestically, Taylor attempted to consolidate power through dictatorial means such as by purging

5724-481: The coast. Taylor flew to Nigeria, where the Nigerian government provided houses for him and his entourage in Calabar . In November 2003, the United States Congress passed a bill that included a reward offer of two million dollars for Taylor's capture. While the peace agreement had guaranteed Taylor safe exile in Nigeria, it also required that he refrain from influencing Liberian politics. His critics said he disregarded this prohibition. On 4 December, Interpol issued

5832-422: The country after Liberia declared war on Germany during World War I . Cecilia Dunbar, a member of a prominent Americo-Liberian family in the capital, adopted and raised Sirleaf's mother. Sirleaf was born in Monrovia in 1938. She attended the College of West Africa , a preparatory school, from 1948 to 1955. She married James Sirleaf when she was seventeen years old. The couple had four sons together, and she

5940-483: The country and led a purge against the previous government. Sirleaf initially accepted a post in the new government as the President of the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment . She fled the country in November 1980 after publicly criticising Doe and the People's Redemption Council for their management of the country. Sirleaf initially moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for the World Bank . In 1981, she moved to Nairobi , Kenya to serve as Vice President of

6048-399: The country in order for any American involvement to be considered. Meanwhile, several African states, in particular the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the leadership of Nigeria, sent troops under the banner of ECOMIL to Liberia. Logistical support was provided by a California company called PAE Government Services Inc., which was given a $ 10 million contract by

6156-516: The country's radio stations and used his control over the Liberian airwaves to spread propaganda and bolster his image. Additionally, there was widespread fear in the country that Taylor would resume the war if he lost. During his time in office, Taylor cut the size of the Armed Forces of Liberia , dismissing 2,400–2,600 former personnel, many of whom were ethnic Krahn brought in by former President Doe to give advantage to his people. In 1998, Taylor attempted to murder one of his political opponents,

6264-429: The crisis. Sirleaf also forged close relations with the United States, Liberia's traditional ally. Following the establishment of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) by the United States military , Sirleaf offered to allow the US to headquarter the new command in Liberia, the only African leader to do so. The command was eventually headquartered in Stuttgart , Germany. On 15 March 2006, President Sirleaf addressed

6372-408: The debt at a 97% discounted rate through financing provided by the International Development Association , Germany, Norway , the United States, and the United Kingdom. The discounted rate was the largest ever for a developing country. The country was deemed eligible to participate in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative in 2008. In June 2010, the country reached the completion point of

6480-443: The decision after a careful review of the situation in Libya and determined that the Government of Colonel Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to govern Libya." On 27 February 2015, President Sirleaf was expected to make a visit to U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, D.C., according to an official online statement from the Office of the White House Press Secretary . Among other issues, they planned to discuss

6588-436: The early years of the First Liberian Civil War. On 26 July 2009, Sirleaf apologized to Liberia for supporting Charles Taylor, saying: "When the true nature of Mr. Taylor's intentions became known, there was no more impassioned critic or strong opponent to him in a democratic process" than she. On 28 August, the legislature announced they must "consult our constituents for about a year" before deciding whether or not to implement

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6696-431: The end of the Second Liberian Civil War and the establishment of a transitional government, Sirleaf was proposed as a possible candidate for chairman of the government. Ultimately, Gyude Bryant , a political neutral, was chosen as chairman, while Sirleaf served as head of the Governance Reform Commission. Sirleaf stood for president as the candidate of the Unity Party in the 2005 general election . She placed second in

6804-492: The extradition treaty between the two republics had lapsed. Assistant United States Attorney Richard G. Stearns argued that Liberia wished to charge Taylor with theft in office, rather than with political crimes. Stearns' arguments were reinforced by Liberian Justice Minister Jenkins Scott, who flew to the United States to testify at the proceedings. Taylor was detained in the Plymouth County Correctional Facility . On 15 September 1985, Taylor and four other inmates escaped from

6912-429: The first round of voting behind George Weah , a former footballer . In the subsequent run-off election, Sirleaf earned 59% of the vote versus 40% for Weah, though Weah disputed the results. The announcement of the new leader was postponed until further election investigations were carried out. On 23 November 2005, Sirleaf was declared the winner of the Liberian election and confirmed as the country's next president and

7020-411: The first woman to be elected as president of an African country. Her inauguration took place on 16 January 2006. It was attended by many foreign dignitaries, including United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush . In January 2010, Sirleaf announced that she would run for a second term in office in the 2011 presidential election while speaking to a joint session of

7128-407: The former warlord Roosevelt Johnson , causing clashes in Monrovia , during and after which hundreds of Krahn were massacred and hundreds more fled Liberia. This event was one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War. In 2003, members of the Krahn tribe founded a rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), opposing Taylor. The group disbanded as part of

7236-405: The future by restricting annual borrowing to 3% of GDP and limiting expenditure of all borrowed funds to one-off infrastructure projects. In 2006, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission began work with a mandate to "promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation" by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in the country. The TRC was formed through a legislation in 2005 under

7344-556: The healthcare infrastructure and the country's other difficulties in the wake of the massive outbreak's morbidity and mortality toll and impact on the area, as well as review progress that had been made and efforts to continue it. Following her victory in the 2005 election, Sirleaf pledged to promote national reconciliation by bringing in opposition leaders into her administration. Opposition politicians who joined her initial administration included Minister of Transport Jeremiah Sulunteh, Minister of Education Joseph Korto , and Ambassador to

7452-511: The hope to expeditiously close the recent 2013–2015 Ebola virus epidemic , which heavily affected Liberia , Sierra Leone , and Guinea , and other areas in West Africa (and beyond in other countries due to importation of cases for treatment and some new infections), down to an ideal of zero reported cases in Liberia and nearby areas in the near future, with continuing monitoring and reporting, care, support, and fiscal and professional assistance. They also planned to discuss how to sustain and rebuild

7560-427: The interim government, ECOMOG and the NPFL. Through 1991, its role in the conflict substantially declined and the faction formally disbanded in late 1992. Charles G. Taylor Rebel leader (1989–1997) President of Liberia (1997–2003) Post-Presidency (2003–present) Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor (born 28 January 1948) is a Liberian former politician and convicted war criminal who served as

7668-419: The jail. Two days later, The Boston Globe reported that they sawed through a bar covering a window in a dormitory room, after which they lowered themselves 20 feet (6.1 m) on knotted sheets and escaped into nearby woods by climbing a fence. Shortly thereafter, Taylor and two other escapees were met at nearby Jordan Hospital by Taylor's wife, Enid, and Taylor's sister-in-law, Lucia Holmes Toweh. They drove

7776-549: The leader from testifying against him at the SCSL. In June 2003, Alan White, the Prosecutor to the Special Court unsealed the indictment and announced publicly that Taylor was charged with war crimes. The indictment asserted that Taylor created and backed the RUF rebels in Sierra Leone, who were accused of a range of atrocities, including the use of child soldiers . The Prosecutor also said that Taylor's administration had harbored members of Al-Qaeda sought in connection with

7884-483: The legislature. Opposition leaders noted that in doing so, she had broken a promise made during her 2005 campaign to only serve one term if elected. Sirleaf was renominated as the Unity Party's presidential candidate at the party's national convention on 31 October 2010. That same day, Vice President Joseph Boakai was nominated by Sirleaf and confirmed by the delegates as Sirleaf's running mate. The awarding of

7992-878: The listed individuals' right to procedural due process , and that it would be unconstitutional for the government to implement the proposed bans. Following a speech made by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 that America's foreign aid would be used to promote the protection of gay rights, the issue of LGBT rights became a significant political topic in Liberia. According to The Guardian , "Since Clinton's remarks, Liberian newspapers have published numerous articles and editorials describing homosexuality as 'desecrating', 'abusive' and an 'abomination'." Liberian law made " voluntary sodomy " punishable by up to one year in prison, although it has not been used to prosecute anyone in several years. In February 2012, Bong County Senator Jewel Taylor proposed

8100-408: The military and committing violence against his political rivals, including an assassination attempt of former ULIMO commander Roosevelt Johnson , leading to violent clashes in Monrovia in 1998 . As a result, opposition to his government grew, culminating in the outbreak of the Second Liberian Civil War in 1999. By 2003, Taylor had lost control of much of the countryside and was formally indicted by

8208-689: The peace agreement at the end of the second civil war. In its place, Taylor installed the Anti-Terrorist Unit , the Special Operations Division of the Liberian National Police (LNP), which he used as his private army. During his presidency, Taylor was alleged to have been involved directly in the Sierra Leone Civil War . He was accused of aiding the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) through weapon sales in exchange for blood diamonds . Due to

8316-544: The position since it was created. Sirleaf's father was Gola and her mother had mixed Kru and German ancestry. While not in fact Americo-Liberian in terms of ancestry, because of her parents' upbringing and her own education in the West, Sirleaf is considered to be culturally Americo-Liberian, or assumed to be Americo-Liberian. Her parents both grew up in Monrovia, a center of Americo-Liberian influence, after being born in poor rural areas. Sirleaf does not identify as such. Sirleaf's father, Jahmale Carney Johnson,

8424-534: The presidential oath for her second presidency on 16 January 2012. Sirleaf crossed party lines to support George Weah in the 2017 presidential campaign. In the late evening hours of 13 January 2018, she along with some officials of the Unity Party were expelled by the National Executive Committee of the party, for failing to support Unity Party presidential candidate, and Sirleaf's Vice President, Joseph Boakai . A fire broke out at

8532-551: The proceeding and was not present. Through a letter that was read by his attorney to the court, he justified his absence by alleging that at that moment he was not ensured a fair and impartial trial. On 20 August 2007, Taylor's defence, now led by Courtenay Griffiths , obtained a postponement of the trial until 7 January 2008. During the trial, the chief prosecutor alleged that a key insider witness who testified against Taylor went into hiding after being threatened for giving evidence against Taylor. Furthermore, Joseph "Zigzag" Marzah,

8640-429: The prosecution finished presenting its evidence against Taylor and closed its case on 27 February 2009. On 4 May 2009, a defence motion for a judgment of acquittal was dismissed, and arguments for Taylor's defence began in July 2009. Taylor testified in his own defence from July through November 2009. The defence rested its case on 12 November 2010, with closing arguments set for early February 2011. On 8 February 2011,

8748-414: The remark had been an April Fools' prank . From the beginning of her presidency, Sirleaf vowed to make reduction of the national debt , which stood at approximately US$ 4.9 billion in 2006, a top priority for her administration. The United States became the first country to grant debt relief to Liberia, waiving the full $ 391 million owed to it by Liberia in early 2007. In September of that year,

8856-497: The summer, Taylor's government controlled only about a third of Liberia: Monrovia and the central part of the country. More than one-third of the total population lived in this area. On 7 March 2003, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) issued a sealed indictment for Taylor. Earlier that year, Liberian forces had killed Sam Bockarie , a leading member of the RUF in Sierra Leone, in a shootout under Taylor's orders. Some have claimed that Taylor ordered Bockarie killed to prevent

8964-464: The theme "Liberia at 160: Reclaiming the future." She took an unprecedented and symbolic move by asking 25-year-old Liberian activist Kimmie Weeks to serve as National Orator for the celebrations, where Weeks called for the government to prioritize education and health care. A few days later, President Sirleaf issued an Executive Order making education free and compulsory for all elementary school aged children. On 4 October 2010, Sirleaf signed into law

9072-655: The ticket of the Liberian Action Party in the 1985 elections . However, Sirleaf was placed under house arrest in August 1985 and soon after sentenced to ten years in prison for sedition , as a consequence of a speech in which she insulted the members of the Samuel Doe regime. Following international calls for her release, Samuel Doe pardoned and released her in September. Due to government pressure, she

9180-442: The trial court ruled in a 2–1 decision that it would not accept Taylor's trial summary, as the summary had not been submitted by the 14 January deadline. In response, Taylor and his counsel boycotted the trial and refused an order by the court to begin closing arguments. This boycott came soon after the 2010 leak of American diplomatic cables , in which the United States discussed the possibility of extraditing Taylor for prosecution in

9288-521: The two countries following Côte d'Ivoire's support of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia during the Second Liberian Civil War . During the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis , Sirleaf, as chairperson of the Mano River Union , supported ECOWAS's recognition of Gbagbo's opponent, Alassane Ouattara , as the winner of the disputed presidential election , but rejected calls for a military solution to

9396-445: The two countries. Three days after Nigeria announced its intent to transfer Taylor to Liberia, the leader disappeared from the seaside villa where he had been living in exile. A week before that, Nigerian authorities had taken the unusual step of allowing local press to accompany census takers into Taylor's Calabar compound. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was scheduled to meet with President Bush less than 48 hours after Taylor

9504-606: The two international experts selected by UNIFEM to investigate and report on the effect of conflict on women and women's roles in peace building. She was the initial Chairperson of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and a visiting Professor of Governance at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). While working at Citibank, Sirleaf returned to Liberia in 1985 to run for Vice President under Jackson Doe on

9612-441: The vote in the first round, more than any other candidate but short of the 50% needed to avoid a run-off. Tubman came in second with 32.7%, pitting him against Sirleaf in the second round. Tubman called for a boycott of the run-off, claiming that the results of the first round had been fraudulent. Sirleaf denied the allegations, and international observers reported that the first round election had been free, fair and transparent. As

9720-421: The war and founded the National Patriotic Front of Liberia with Taylor and Tom Woewiyu . Because of this, Doe's government recommended that Sirleaf be banned from politics in Liberia for 30 years. But, she later opposed Taylor's handling of the war and his treatment of rival opposition leaders such as Jackson Doe . By 1996, the presence of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) peacekeepers led to

9828-420: The war. It controlled a number of strategic points within the capital city of Monrovia and facilitated the deployment of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) cease-fire monitoring group forces, known as ECOMOG . It was the INPFL which captured and murdered President Samuel Doe in September 1990. The faction disintegrated in the wake of internal wrangling over its level of co-operation with

9936-526: Was re-elected in 2011 . She was the first woman in Africa elected as president of her country. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, in recognition of her efforts to bring women into the peacekeeping process. She has received numerous other awards for her leadership. In June 2016, Sirleaf was elected as the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States , making her the first woman to hold

10044-508: Was an Americo-Liberian who worked as a teacher, sharecropper, lawyer and judge. In 1977, Taylor earned a degree at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts , United States. Taylor supported the 1980 Liberian coup d'état led by Samuel Doe , which resulted in the murder of President William Tolbert and seizure of power by Doe, who established the People's Redemption Council . Taylor

10152-619: Was appointed to the position of Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), a position that left him in charge of purchasing for the Liberian government. He was fired in May 1983 for embezzling an estimated $ 1,000,000 (~$ 2.57 million in 2023) and sending the funds to another bank account. Taylor fled to the United States but was arrested on 21 May 1984 by two US Deputy Marshals in Somerville, Massachusetts , on

10260-486: Was born in Arthington , a town near the capital of Monrovia, Liberia , on 28 January 1948, to Nelson and Yassa Zoe (Louise) Taylor. He attended The Newman School in his early years. He took the name "Ghankay" later on, possibly to please and gain favor with indigenous Liberians. His mother was a member of the Gola ethnic group, part of the 95% of the people who are indigenous to Liberia. According to most reports, his father

10368-476: Was born into a Gola family in an impoverished rural region . He was the son of a minor Gola chief named Jahmale Carney and one of his wives, Jenneh, in Julijuah, Bomi County . Her father was sent to Monrovia for education, where he changed his surname to Johnson due to her father's loyalty to President Hilary R. W. Johnson , Liberia's first native-born president. Jahmale Johnson grew up in Monrovia, where he

10476-419: Was delivered to the SCSL. The SCSL prosecutor originally indicted Taylor on 3 March 2003 on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict in Sierra Leone. On 16 March 2006, a SCSL judge gave leave to amend the indictment against Taylor. Under the amended indictment, Taylor was charged with 11 counts. At Taylor's initial appearance before the court on 3 April 2006, he entered

10584-408: Was disputed. She was arrested as a result of her open criticism of the military government in 1985 and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, although she was later released. Sirleaf continued to be involved in politics. She finished in second place at the 1997 presidential election , which was won by Charles Taylor . She won the 2005 presidential election and took office on 16 January 2006. She

10692-665: Was extradited and flown to Rotterdam Airport in the Netherlands. He was taken into custody and held in the detention centre of the International Criminal Court , located in the Scheveningen section of The Hague. The Association for the Legal Defence of Charles G. Taylor was established in June 2006 to assist in his legal defence. When Taylor's trial opened on 4 June 2007, Taylor boycotted

10800-469: Was found guilty in April 2012 of all eleven charges levied by the Special Court, including terror, murder and rape. In May 2012, Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Reading the sentencing statement, Presiding Judge Richard Lussick said: "The accused has been found responsible for aiding and abetting as well as planning some of the most heinous and brutal crimes in recorded human history." 1 Taylor

10908-406: Was frequently accused of atrocities, and is thought to have been backed by the government of neighboring Guinea . This uprising signaled the beginning of the Second Liberian Civil War . By early 2003, LURD had gained control of northern Liberia. That year, a second Ivorian -backed rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), emerged in southern Liberia and achieved rapid success. By

11016-599: Was primarily occupied as a homemaker . Early on in their marriage, James worked for the Department of Agriculture, and Sirleaf worked as a bookkeeper for an auto-repair shop. She traveled with her husband to the United States in 1961 to continue her education and earned an associate degree in Accounting at Madison Business College , in Madison, Wisconsin . When they returned to Liberia , James continued his work in

11124-471: Was raised by an Americo-Liberian family with the surname McCritty. He later entered politics; he was the first Liberian from an indigenous ethnic group to be elected to the country's national legislature. Sirleaf's mother was also born into poverty, in Greenville . Her grandmother, Juah Sarwee, sent Sirleaf's mother to the capital, Monrovia, when her German husband (Sirleaf's grandfather) had to flee

11232-592: Was removed from the presidential ticket and instead ran for a Senate seat in Montserrado County . In the 1985 elections, Samuel Doe and the National Democratic Party won the presidency and large majorities in both houses. The elections were widely condemned as neither free nor fair. Sirleaf was declared the winner of her Senate race, but she refused to accept the seat in protest of the election fraud. After an attempted coup against

11340-427: Was reported missing. Speculation ensued that Bush would refuse to meet with Obasanjo if Taylor were not apprehended. Less than 12 hours prior to the scheduled meeting between the two heads of state, Taylor was reported apprehended en route to Liberia. On 29 March, Taylor tried to cross the border into Cameroon through the border town of Gamboru in northeastern Nigeria. His Range Rover with Nigerian diplomatic plates

11448-553: Was stopped by border guards, and Taylor's identity was eventually established. Upon his arrival at Roberts International Airport in Harbel , Liberia, Taylor was arrested and handcuffed by LNP officers, who immediately transferred responsibility for the custody of Taylor to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Irish UNMIL soldiers escorted Taylor aboard a UN helicopter to Freetown , Sierra Leone, where he

11556-538: Was trained as a guerrilla fighter . He returned to Liberia in 1989 as the head of a Libyan-backed rebel group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia , to overthrow the Doe government, initiating the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996). Following Doe's execution, Taylor gained control of a large portion of the country and became one of the most prominent warlords in Africa. His forces, along with those of other rival warlords such as ULIMO were notorious for committing widespread human rights abuses and atrocities during

11664-691: Was willing to host the trial but would not jail him if convicted. British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett stated that new legislation would be required to accommodate this arrangement. This legislation came in the form of the International Tribunals (Sierra Leone) Act 2007. While awaiting his extradition to the Netherlands, Taylor was held in a UN jail in Freetown. On 16 June 2006, the United Nations Security Council agreed unanimously to allow Taylor to be sent to Leidschendam for trial; on 20 June 2006, Taylor

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