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85-575: Prior to the creation of the MCSS, schools in Monrovia were individually administered by principals reporting directly to the Ministry of Education . A Memorandum of Understanding, the preliminary step to the establishment of the system, was signed on 28 February 1963. This Liberia -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an education organization

170-708: A tax haven . Doe had support from the United States due to his anti- Soviet stance during the Cold War . Doe's rule was characterized by authoritarianism , corruption , and his favoritism towards ethnic Krahns , which led to growing opposition to his regime from the Liberian public and the United States. The First Liberian Civil War began in December 1989 when the anti-Doe National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor invaded Liberia from

255-516: A 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.79/10, ranking it 116th globally out of 172 countries. Liberia is a global biodiversity hotspot —a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. Endangered species are hunted for human consumption as bushmeat in Liberia. Species hunted for food in Liberia include elephants , pygmy hippopotamus , chimpanzees , leopards , duikers , and other monkeys. Bushmeat

340-619: A Monrovia beach. The coup leaders formed the People's Redemption Council (PRC) to govern the country. A strategic Cold War ally of the West, Doe received significant financial backing from the United States while critics condemned the PRC for corruption and political repression. After Liberia adopted a new constitution in 1985, Doe was elected president in subsequent elections that were internationally condemned as fraudulent. On November 12, 1985,

425-493: A constant presence in the rainforests here. Much research into Tbg was performed in the 1970s by Mehlitz and by Gibson, both working in Bong Mine with samples from around the country. The West African pariah dog is also a host for Tbg . Samuel Doe Leader of Liberia (1980–1990) Government Samuel Kanyon Doe (6 May 1951 – 9 September 1990) was a Liberian politician and military officer who served as

510-554: A dictatorial regime, Doe was assassinated in 1990 in the context of the First Liberian Civil War which ran from 1989 until 1997 with the election of rebel leader Charles Taylor as president. In 1998, the Second Liberian Civil War erupted against his own dictatorship, and Taylor was overthrown by the end of the war in 2003. The two wars resulted in the deaths of 250,000 people (about 8% of

595-528: A failed coup was launched by Thomas Quiwonkpa , whose soldiers briefly occupied the national radio station . Government repression intensified in response, as Doe's troops responded by executing members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups in Nimba County . The National Patriotic Front of Liberia , a rebel group led by Charles Taylor , launched an insurrection in December 1989 against Doe's government with

680-550: A handmade quilt, Liberia's first diplomatic gift. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Ricks said, "I had heard it often, from the time I was a child, how good the Queen had been to my people—to slaves—and how she wanted us to be free." American and other international interests emphasized resource extraction, with rubber production as a major industry in the early 20th century. In 1914, Imperial Germany accounted for three-quarters of

765-496: A religious rally representing the Doe family, Doe's son Samuel Kanyon Doe Jr, accompanied by his mother Nancy , Doe's widow, told a conference that he had feelings of hatred and resentment against "a certain person in particular", thoughts of revenge against his father's murderer for the past ten years and that he intended to cleanse his sins and feelings of hatred and revenge against his father's executioner. Both parties were reconciled at

850-527: A result of the report, President Charles D. B. King and Vice President Allen N. Yancy resigned. In the mid-20th century, Liberia gradually began to modernize with American assistance. During World War II , the United States made major infrastructure improvements to support its military efforts in Africa and Europe against Germany. It built the Freeport of Monrovia and Roberts International Airport under

935-471: A runoff. The NDPL won 21 of the 26 Senate seats and 51 of the 64 seats in the House of Representatives . However, most of the elected opposition candidates refused to take their seats. The election was heavily rigged; Doe had the ballots taken to a secret location, and 50 of his own handpicked staff counted them. Foreign observers declared the elections fraudulent and suggested that runner-up Jackson Doe of

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1020-403: A show with several Liberian girls danced artistically in his honor with various hoops. Later, the dancers danced with maracas. Finally, the army paraded in line and the first they played a majestic orchestra. Doe publicly declared that if he lost the elections, he would not hand over power, and the army would carry out another coup in less than two weeks, a position that was harshly criticized by

1105-551: A state visit to Chun Doo-hwan in South Korea and being awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Seoul . After seven years of calling himself a doctor, Doe announced in 1989 that he had completed a bachelor's degree from the University of Liberia . During his first years in office, Doe openly supported U.S. Cold War foreign policy in Africa during the 1980s, severing diplomatic relations between Liberia and

1190-514: A supporter of Pan-Africanism . Liberia also helped to fund the Organisation of African Unity . On April 12, 1980, a military coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe of the Krahn ethnic group overthrew and killed President William R. Tolbert Jr. Doe and the other plotters later executed most of Tolbert's cabinet and other Americo-Liberian government officials and True Whig Party members on

1275-617: A way to avoid slave rebellions . In 1822, the American Colonization Society began sending free people of color to the Pepper Coast voluntarily to establish a colony. Mortality from tropical diseases was high—of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia between 1820 and 1843, only 1,819 survived. By 1867, the ACS (and state-related chapters) had assisted in the migration of more than 13,000 people of color from

1360-518: A while," while 13% cooked it once a week and 7% cooked bushmeat daily. The survey was conducted during the last civil war, and bushmeat consumption is now believed to be far higher. Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is endemic in some animal hosts here including both domestic and wild . This causes the disease nagana . In pigs here and in Ivory Coast , that includes Tbg group 1 . Tbg and its vector Glossina palpalis gambiense are

1445-497: Is English. Over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largest city is Monrovia . Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed that black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. Between 1822 and the outbreak of

1530-685: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Liberia Liberia ( / l aɪ ˈ b ɪər i ə / ), officially the Republic of Liberia , is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest , Guinea to its north , Ivory Coast to its east , and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5.5   million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km ). The official language

1615-416: Is characterized by mostly flat to rolling coastal plains that contain mangroves and swamps , which rise to a rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast. Tropical rainforests cover the hills, while elephant grass and semi-deciduous forests make up the dominant vegetation in the northern sections. Liberia's watershed tends to move in a southwestern pattern toward the sea as new rains move down

1700-528: Is not wholly within Liberia as Nimba is located at the point where Liberia borders both Guinea and Ivory Coast . Nimba is thus the tallest mountain in those countries, as well. The equatorial climate, in the south of the country, is hot year-round with heavy rainfall from May to October with a short interlude in mid-July to August. During the winter months of November to March, dry dust-laden harmattan winds blow inland, causing many problems for residents. Climate change in Liberia causes many problems as Liberia

1785-428: Is often exported to neighboring Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, despite a ban on the cross-border sale of wild animals. Bushmeat is widely eaten in Liberia, and is considered a delicacy. A 2004 public opinion survey found that bushmeat ranked second behind fish amongst residents of the capital Monrovia as a preferred source of protein. Of households where bushmeat was served, 80% of residents said they cooked it "once in

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1870-401: Is particularly vulnerable to climate change . Like many other countries in Africa , Liberia both faces existing environmental issues , as well as sustainable development challenges. Because of its location in Africa, it is vulnerable to extreme weather , the coastal effects of sea level rise , and changing water systems and water availability. Climate change is expected to severely impact

1955-591: The American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born African Americans , along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans , relocated to Liberia. Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity, the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them while colonizing the indigenous population. Led by the Americo-Liberians, Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862. Liberia

2040-583: The Armed Forces of Liberia , hoping thereby to obtain a scholarship to a high school in Kakata . Still, instead, he was assigned to military duties. Over the next ten years, he was assigned to various duty stations, including education at a military school and commanding various garrisons and prisons in Monrovia. He finally completed high school by correspondence . Doe was promoted to the grade of Master sergeant on 11 October 1979 and made an administrator for

2125-681: The Cestos River , all of which flow into the Atlantic. The Cavalla is the longest river in the nation at 320 miles (510 km). The highest point wholly within Liberia is Mount Wuteve at 4,724 feet (1,440 m) above sea level in the northwestern Liberia range of the West Africa Mountains and the Guinea Highlands . Mount Nimba , near Yekepa , is higher at 1,752 metres (5,748 ft) above sea level , but

2210-625: The Constitution of Liberia , assumed the rank of general , and established the PRC as a provisional military government with himself as de facto head of state . Doe dissolved the PRC in 1984 and attempted to legitimize his regime, with a new democratic constitution and a general election held in 1985 . He won with 51% of the votes, but the election had widespread allegations of election fraud . Doe opened Liberian ports to Canadian, Chinese, and European ships, which brought in considerable foreign investment and earned Liberia's reputation as

2295-623: The Ivory Coast to overthrow him. Doe was captured and executed by Prince Johnson on 9 September 1990. Samuel Kanyon Doe was born on 6 May 1951 in Tuzon , a small inland village in Grand Gedeh County . His family belonged to the Krahn people , an important minority indigenous group in this area. At the age of sixteen, Doe finished elementary school and enrolled at a Baptist junior high school in Zwedru . Two years later, he enlisted in

2380-521: The Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms. Americo-Liberians formed into a small elite that held disproportionate political power, while indigenous Africans were excluded from birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904. In 1980, political tensions from the rule of William R. Tolbert resulted in a military coup , marking the end of Americo-Liberian rule and the seizure of power of Liberia's first indigenous leader, Samuel Doe . Establishing

2465-626: The Lend-Lease program before its entry into the Second World War. After the war, President William Tubman encouraged foreign investment, with Liberia achieving the second-highest rate of economic growth in the world during the 1950s. In international affairs, it was a founding member of the United Nations , a vocal critic of South African apartheid , a proponent of African independence from European colonial powers, and

2550-481: The Liberian Action Party had won. Also, before the election, he had more than 50 of his political opponents murdered. It is also alleged that he changed his official birth date from 1951 to 1950 to meet the new constitution's requirement that the president be at least 35 years old. Doe was formally sworn in on 6 January 1986. On the day of his inauguration as the twenty-first president, in the stadium,

2635-541: The Mano in the north (Quiwonkpa was an ethnic Gio), resulted in divisions and violence among indigenous populations who until then had coexisted peacefully. Charles Taylor , a former ally of Doe, crossed into Liberia from Ivory Coast on 24 December 1989 to wage a guerrilla war against Doe. Taylor had broken out of a jail in the United States, where he was awaiting extradition to Liberia on charges of embezzlement. The conflict quickly flared into full-fledged civil war . By

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2720-1146: The Middle Stone Age (MSA) indicates that core and flake technologies have been present in West Africa since at least the Chibanian (~780–126 thousand years ago or ka ) in northern, open Sahelian zones, and that they persisted until the Terminal Pleistocene / Holocene boundary (~12 ka) in both northern and southern zones of West Africa. This makes them the youngest examples of such MSA technology anywhere in Africa. The presence of MSA populations in forests remains an open question. Technological differences may correlate with various ecological zones . Later Stone Age (LSA) populations evidence significant technological diversification, including both microlithic and macrolithic traditions. The record shows that aceramic and ceramic LSA assemblages in West Africa overlap chronologically, and that changing densities of microlithic industries from

2805-519: The Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. In November 2011, President Sirleaf was re-elected for a second six-year term. Following the 2017 Liberian general election , former professional football striker George Weah , considered one of the greatest African players of all time, was sworn in as president on January 22, 2018, becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa. The inauguration marked Liberia's first fully democratic transition in 74 years. Weah cited fighting corruption, reforming

2890-560: The Soviet Union . The United States valued Liberia as an important ally during the Cold War, as it helped to contain the spread of Soviet influence in Africa. As part of the expanding relationship, Doe agreed to a modification of the mutual defense pact granting staging rights on 24-hour notice at Liberia's sea and airports for the U.S. Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), which were established to respond swiftly to security threats around

2975-430: The economy of Liberia , especially agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Liberia has been an active participant in international and local policy changes related to climate change. Forests on the coastline are composed mostly of salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a plateau of drier grasslands . The climate is equatorial , with significant rainfall during

3060-624: The 2011 Liberia Presidential elections — alleged the American CIA had provided a map of the Executive Mansion, enabling the rebels to break into it; that it was a white American CIA agent who shot and killed Tolbert; and that the Americans "were responsible for Liberia's nightmare". However, the next day, before the same TRC, another former minister of Samuel Doe, Dr. Boima Fahnbulleh, testified that "the Americans did not support

3145-483: The 20th century, repeating patterns of European colonists in other nations in Africa. Competition for office was usually contained within the party; a party nomination virtually ensured election. Pressure from the United Kingdom, which controlled Sierra Leone to the northwest, and France, with its interests in the north and east, led to a loss of Liberia's claims to extensive territories. Both Sierra Leone and

3230-555: The 21st President of Liberia from 1986 to 1990. He ruled Liberia as Chairman of the People's Redemption Council (PRC) from 1980 to 1986 and then as president from 1986 to 1990. Doe was a master sergeant in the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) when he staged the violent 1980 coup d'état that overthrew President William Tolbert and the True Whig Party , becoming the first non- Americo-Liberian leader of Liberia and ending 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule . Doe suspended

3315-631: The Atlantic Ocean. The Dei , Bassa , Kru , Gola , and Kissi were some of the earliest documented peoples in the area. This influx of these groups was compounded by the decline of the Mali Empire in 1375 and the Songhai Empire in 1591. As inland regions underwent desertification , inhabitants moved to the wetter coast. These new inhabitants brought skills such as cotton spinning , cloth weaving , iron smelting , rice and sorghum cultivation, and social and political institutions from

3400-461: The Constitution, allowing these trials to be conducted by a Commission appointed by the state's new military leadership, with defendants being refused both legal representation and trial by jury , virtually ensuring their conviction. Doe abruptly ended 133 years of Americo-Liberian political domination. Some hailed the coup as the first time since Liberia's establishment as a country that it

3485-493: The Ivory Coast annexed territories. Liberia struggled to attract investment to develop infrastructure and a larger, industrial economy. There was a decline in the production of Liberian goods in the late 19th century, and the government struggled financially, resulting in indebtedness on a series of international loans. On July 16, 1892, Martha Ann Erskine Ricks met Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle and presented her with

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3570-747: The Mali and Songhai empires. Shortly after the Mane conquered the region, the Vai people of the former Mali Empire immigrated into the Grand Cape Mount County region. The ethnic Kru opposed the influx of Vai, forming an alliance with the Mane to stop further influx of Vai. People along the coast built canoes and traded with other West Africans from Cap-Vert to the Gold Coast . Between 1461 and

3655-477: The May–October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean rainforest . It was an important producer of rubber in the early 20th century. Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Liberia's borders: Guinean montane forests , Western Guinean lowland forests , Guinean forest–savanna mosaic , and Guinean mangroves . It had

3740-579: The SCSL for trial in The Hague . In 2006, the government established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the causes and crimes of the civil war. In 2011, July 26 was proclaimed by President Sirleaf as National Independence Day. In October 2011, peace activist Leymah Gbowee received the Nobel Peace Prize in her work of leading a women's peace movement that brought to an end to

3825-675: The Southern states, which had strong political power in the American government, declared their secession and the formation of the Confederacy . The leadership of the new nation consisted largely of the Americo-Liberians , who at the beginning established political and economic dominance in the coastal areas that the ACS had purchased; they maintained relations with the United States and contacts in developing these areas and

3910-622: The Third Battalion in Monrovia, a position he occupied for eleven months. Commanding a group of Krahn soldiers, Master Sergeant Samuel Doe led a military coup on 12 April 1980 by attacking the Liberian Executive Mansion and killing President William Tolbert His forces killed another 26 of Tolbert's supporters in the fighting. Thirteen members of the Cabinet were publicly executed ten days later. Shortly after

3995-663: The United States and the Caribbean to Liberia. These free African Americans and their descendants married within their community and came to identify as Americo-Liberians . Many were of mixed race and educated in American culture; they did not identify with the indigenous natives of the tribes they encountered. They developed an ethnic group that had a cultural tradition infused with American notions of political republicanism and Protestant Christianity. The ACS, supported by prominent American politicians such as Abraham Lincoln , Henry Clay , and James Monroe , believed "repatriation"

4080-729: The backing of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast . This triggered the First Liberian Civil War . By September 1990, Doe's forces controlled only a small area just outside the capital, and Doe was captured and executed in that month by rebel forces. The rebels soon split into conflicting factions. The Economic Community Monitoring Group under the Economic Community of West African States organized an armed intervention. Between 1989 and 1997, around 60,000 to 80,000 Liberians died, and, by 1996, around 700,000 others had been displaced into refugee camps in neighboring countries. A peace deal between warring parties

4165-540: The coast to the north are geographically structured. These features may represent social networks or some form of cultural diffusion allied to changing ecological conditions. Microlithic industries with ceramics became common by the Mid-Holocene , coupled with an apparent intensification of wild food exploitation. Between ~4–3.5 ka, these societies gradually transformed into food producers, possibly through contact with northern pastoralists and agriculturalists, as

4250-413: The country's establishment. However, the new government, led by the leaders of the coup d'état and calling itself the People's Redemption Council (PRC), lacked experience and was ill-prepared to rule. Doe became head of state and suspended the constitution but promised a return to civilian rule by 1985. In the first alleged plot against his government, nine military personnel arrested two months after

4335-476: The country's wealth and development. President William Tubman encouraged economic and political changes that heightened the country's prosperity and international profile; Liberia was a founding member of the League of Nations , United Nations , and the Organisation of African Unity . The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered. Colonial settlements were raided by

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4420-646: The country. The early days of the regime were marked by mass executions of members of Tolbert's deposed government. Doe ordered the release of about 50 leaders of the opposition Progressive People's Party , who had been jailed by Tolbert during the rice riots of the previous month. Shortly after that, Doe ordered the arrest of 91 officials of the Tolbert regime. Within days, eleven former members of Tolbert's cabinet, including his brother Frank , were brought to trial to answer charges of "high treason , rampant corruption and gross violation of human rights ." Doe suspended

4505-664: The country. The video shows Johnson sipping a beer as Doe's ear is cut off. Doe was a Baptist. At one time, he was a member of the First Baptist Church in the town of Zwedru in Grand Gedeh County . He changed his church membership to the Providence Baptist Church of Monrovia on 1 December 1985. Doe was a passionate football fan, and the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex bears his name. In November 2000, at

4590-635: The coup led by Mr. Doe". Some facts of the 1980 coup are still clouded by reports of an "Unknown Soldier". It is reported that an "unknown soldier" was one of the "white" mercenaries who would have staged the 1980 military takeover of the state. According to the autobiography of Tolbert's wife Victoria , the First Lady witnessed a masked man with a "white" hand stabbing her late husband. During his rule, Doe portrayed himself as an enlightened leader whose actions were intended to bring "relief to many". He styled himself "Dr. Doe" starting in 1982 after making

4675-446: The coup, government ministers were walked publicly around Monrovia in the nude and then summarily executed by a firing squad on the beach. The convicted were denied the right to a lawyer or any appeal. Hundreds of government workers fled the country, while others were imprisoned. After the coup, Doe assumed the rank of general and established a People's Redemption Council (PRC), composed of himself and 14 other low-ranking officers, to rule

4760-604: The economy, combating illiteracy, and improving living conditions as the main targets of his presidency. Opposition leader Joseph Boakai defeated Weah in the tightly contested 2023 presidential election . On 22 January 2024, Boakai was sworn in as Liberia's new president. Liberia is situated in West Africa , bordering the North Atlantic Ocean to the country's southwest. It lies between latitudes 4° and 9°N , and longitudes 7° and 12°W . The landscape

4845-508: The environment became more arid. Hunter-gatherers have survived in the more forested parts of West Africa until much later, attesting to the strength of ecological boundaries in this region. The Pepper Coast , also known as the Grain Coast, has been inhabited by indigenous peoples of Africa at least as far back as the 12th century. Mande -speaking people expanded from the north and east, forcing many smaller ethnic groups southward toward

4930-410: The following October. The subsequent 2005 elections were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , a US-educated economist, former Minister of Finance and future Nobel Prize for Peace winner, was elected as the first female president in Africa. Upon her inauguration, Sirleaf requested the extradition of Taylor from Nigeria and transferred him to

5015-602: The forested plateau off the inland mountain range of Guinée Forestière , in Guinea . Cape Mount near the border with Sierra Leone receives the most precipitation in the nation. Liberia's main northwestern boundary is traversed by the Mano River while its southeast limits are bounded by the Cavalla River . Liberia's three largest rivers are St. Paul exiting near Monrovia , the river St. John at Buchanan , and

5100-557: The gunshots from outside, Doe expressed concern to Quainoo, who assured him everything was fine. Quainoo later excused himself to check on what was happening outside and was followed by his aide, Captain Coker of the Gambian contingent. Both men took cover upon assessing the situation. Johnson's men moved indoors, finished off Doe's remaining team, shot him in the leg, and took him captive. Over 80 of Doe's men were killed. Coker characterized

5185-402: The incident not as a fight but a brutal massacre. None of the ECOMOG personnel were shot in the carnage. Doe was taken to Johnson's military base. To prove that he was not protected by black magic , Johnson ordered Doe's ears be cut off in his presence. Shackles were also placed around Doe's legs and something strange was tied around his glans, as can be seen in the recording. At the end of

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5270-825: The indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated " bush ". The colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms. Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often became violent. Believing themselves different from and culturally and educationally superior to the indigenous peoples, the Americo-Liberians developed as an elite minority that created and held on to political power. The Americo-Liberian settlers adopted clothing such as hoop skirts and tailcoats and generally viewed themselves as culturally and socially superior to indigenous Africans. Indigenous tribesmen did not enjoy birthright citizenship in their own land until 1904. Americo-Liberians encouraged religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate

5355-461: The indigenous peoples. On July 26, 1847, the settlers issued a Declaration of Independence and promulgated a constitution . Based on the political principles of the United States Constitution , it established the independent Republic of Liberia. On August 24, Liberia adopted its 11-striped national flag . The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize Liberia's independence. The United States did not recognize Liberia until 1862, after

5440-434: The international community and the political parties participating in the elections. Official results showed that Doe received a narrow majority of the votes in the elections, although the US State Department alleged widespread fraud. General Thomas Quiwonkpa , who had been a leader of the 1980 coup along with Doe, attempted to seize power on 12 November 1985; the attempt failed after fighting in Monrovia in which Quiwonkpa

5525-480: The late 17th century, Portuguese , Dutch , and British traders had contacts and trading posts in the region. The Portuguese named the area Costa da Pimenta ("Pepper Coast") but it later came to be known as the Grain Coast , due to the abundance of melegueta pepper grains. The traders would barter commodities and goods with local people. In the United States, there was a movement to settle African Americans , both free-born and formerly enslaved, in Africa. This

5610-406: The mid-1990s, most of Liberia was controlled by rebel factions. Approximately 600 civilians were killed at the church in the Sinkor section of Monrovia on 29 July 1990. The massacre was carried out by approximately 30 government soldiers loyal to Doe. The perpetrators were of Doe's Krahn tribe while most of the victims were from the Gio and Mano tribes, which were in support of the rebels. Doe

5695-415: The northwest of the country, launched an armed insurrection against Taylor. In March 2003, a second rebel group, Movement for Democracy in Liberia , began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast. Peace talks between the factions began in Accra in June of that year, and Taylor was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) for crimes against humanity the same month. By July 2003,

5780-405: The number of eligible voters. (The loser actually received around 60% of the eligible vote.) Soon after, allegations of modern slavery in Liberia led the League of Nations to establish the Christy Commission . Findings included government involvement in widespread "forced or compulsory labour". Minority ethnic groups especially were exploited in a system that enriched well-connected elites. As

5865-408: The original 1980 coup were reportedly jailed for life. In June 1981, his government denounced another alleged coup in which thirteen members were executed behind closed doors. Months later, Thomas Weh Syen , an outspoken critic of some of Doe's policies, including the closure months before of the Libyan diplomatic mission and the forced reduction of staff from fifteen to six at the Soviet embassy,

5950-469: The population) and the displacement of many more, with Liberia's economy shrinking by 90%. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in 2005 . The country has remained relatively stable since then. The presence of Oldowan artifacts in West Africa was confirmed by Michael Omolewa , attesting to the presence of ancient humans. Undated Acheulean (ESA) artifacts are well documented across West Africa . The emerging chronometric record of

6035-445: The rebels had launched an assault on Monrovia . Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement, Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in Nigeria . A peace deal was signed later that month. The United Nations Mission in Liberia began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord, and an interim government took power

6120-440: The recording, Doe was forced to get up, some of his fingers and toes were amputated, and there were attempts to mutilate the middle finger. After 12 hours of torture at Johnson's hands, Doe was finally murdered; his corpse had its head shaved and was exhibited naked in the streets of Monrovia with cigarette burns. Doe's body was later exhumed and reburied. The spectacle of his torture was video-taped and seen on news reports around

6205-418: The resulting trade. Their passage of the 1865 Ports of Entry Act prohibited foreign commerce with the inland tribes, ostensibly to "encourage the growth of civilized values" before such trade was allowed in the region. By 1877, the True Whig Party was the country's most powerful political entity. It was made up primarily of Americo-Liberians, who maintained social, economic and political dominance well into

6290-624: The trade of Liberia. This was a cause for concern among the British colonial authorities of Sierra Leone and the French colonial authorities of French Guinea and the Ivory Coast as tensions with Germany increased. Liberia remained neutral during World War I until August 4, 1917, when it declared war on Germany. Subsequently, it was one of 32 nations to take part in the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919, which ended

6375-491: The war and established the League of Nations ; Liberia was among the few African and non-Western nations to participate in the conference and the founding of the league. In 1927, the country's elections again showed the power of the True Whig Party, with electoral proceedings that have been called some of the most rigged ever; the winning candidate was declared to have received votes amounting to more than 15 times

6460-537: The weaker Gambian contingent. The Nigerian team had just withdrawn from the scene when Doe's convoy of lightly armed personnel arrived. Doe was escorted to General Quainoo's office, where he was formally welcomed while most of his team of aides and guards waited outside. Johnson's rebels surprised everyone by suddenly arriving on the scene uninvited and heavily armed, overwhelming and disarming all of Doe's team while encountering no resistance. They then started shooting Doe's team individually and later in groups. Upon hearing

6545-485: The world. A draft constitution providing for a multi-party republic was issued in 1983 and approved by referendum in 1984. On 26 July 1984, Doe was elected President of the Interim National Assembly. He had a new constitution approved by referendum in 1984 and went on to stage a presidential election on 15 October 1985. According to official figures, Doe won 51% of the vote—just enough to avoid

6630-399: Was beaten and arrested on 12 August of that same year, along with four other officers. They were promised a defense attorney, but none was given, and in three days, they were executed, which caused panic among the citizens of the capital. In August 2008, before a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Monrovia, Doe's former justice minister, Councillor Chea Cheapoo — who contested

6715-459: Was because they faced racial discrimination in the form of political disenfranchisement and the denial of civil, religious, and social rights. Formed in 1816, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders. Quakers believed black people would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the U.S. While slaveholders opposed freedom for enslaved people, some viewed "repatriation" of free people of color as

6800-561: Was captured in Monrovia on 9 September 1990 by Prince Johnson , leader of INPFL , a breakaway faction of Taylor's NPFL . General Quainoo , the head of ECOMOG , had invited Doe to the ECOMOG headquarters for a meeting and assured him of his safety from the rebels. On the morning of 9 September 1990, Doe arrived at a precarious time during an ongoing change in guard duty from the well-armed and better equipped Nigerian team of peacekeepers to

6885-540: Was governed by people of native African descent instead of by the Americo-Liberian elite. Other persons without Americo-Liberian heritage had held the Vice Presidency ( Henry Too Wesley ), as well as Ministerial and Legislative positions in years prior. Many people welcomed Doe's takeover as a shift favoring the majority of the population that had largely been excluded from government participation since

6970-448: Was killed. Doe also announced in a radio and television broadcast that anyone found on the streets after a 6 p.m. curfew would be considered a rebel and executed immediately. Doe's government became even more repressive after the attempted coup, shutting down newspapers and banning political activity. The government's mistreatment of certain ethnic groups, particularly the Gio (or Dan ) and

7055-551: Was preferable to having emancipated slaves remain in the United States. Similar state-based organizations established colonies in Mississippi-in-Africa , Kentucky in Africa , and the Republic of Maryland , which Liberia later annexed. Lincoln in 1862 described Liberia as only "in a certain sense...a success", and proposed instead that free people of color be assisted to emigrate to Chiriquí , today part of Panama. The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to

7140-554: Was reached in 1995, leading to Taylor's election as president in 1997 . Under Taylor's leadership, Liberia became a pariah state due to its use of blood diamonds and illegal timber exports to fund the Revolutionary United Front in the Sierra Leone Civil War . The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy , a rebel group based in

7225-503: Was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa's first and oldest modern republic. Along with Ethiopia , it was one of the two African countries to maintain its sovereignty and independence during the European colonial " Scramble for Africa ". During World War II , Liberia supported the U.S. war effort against Nazi Germany and in turn received considerable American investment in infrastructure, which aided

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