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57-689: As a result of the Liberian civil war , the premises of the MTA were completely vandalized, and sat desolate and dormant for over 20 years. In 2007 the transit system in the country was resuscitated. In 2009, the National Transit Authority (NTA) was established to which the Monrovia Transit Authority became a subsidiary. The NTA will be responsible for passenger transport services throughout Liberia. In October, 2011

114-442: A pocket veto by refusing to sign legislation when the end of the twenty-day deadline for signing the bill falls during a recess of the legislature. The president may extend a legislative session past its adjournment date or call a special extraordinary session when deemed necessary for the national interest. The president must also give an annual report to the legislature on the state of the country. To be eligible for office under

171-523: A cease-fire. At the beginning of September 1995, Liberia's three principal warlords – Taylor, George Boley and Alhaji Kromah  – made theatrical entrances into Monrovia. A ruling council of six members under civilian Wilton G. S. Sankawulo and with the three factional heads Taylor, Kromah and Boley, took control of the country preparatory to elections that were originally scheduled for 1996. Heavy fighting broke out again in April 1996. This led to

228-540: A ceasefire in 1995 but fighting continued until a peace agreement between the main factions occurred in August 1996. Taylor was elected President of Liberia following the 1997 Liberian general election and entered office in August of the same year. The First Liberian Civil War killed around 200,000 people and eventually led to the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and

285-486: A large rebel force led by Prince Johnson's INPFL also arrived and attacked Doe's party. Doe was captured and taken to the INPFL's Caldwell base. He was brutally tortured before being killed and dismembered. His torture and execution was videotaped by his captors. Johnson's INPFL and Taylor's NPFL continued to struggle for control of Monrovia in the months that followed. With military discipline absent and bloodshed throughout

342-472: A six-year term and is limited to two terms. Under the 1986 Constitution, presidential elections utilize a two-round system , wherein a second round of voting is held between the two candidates with the highest number of votes if no single candidate obtains a majority in the first round. Each term begins and ends at noon on the third working Monday in January of the year immediately following the elections. At

399-479: Is followed by Ruth Perry as chairwoman of the ruling council, who served until 2 August 1997. Simultaneous elections for the presidency and national assembly were finally held in July 1997. In a climate hardly conducive to free movement and security of persons, Taylor and his National Patriotic Party won an overwhelming victory against 12 candidates. Assisted by widespread intimidation, Taylor took 75 per cent of

456-701: Is largely modeled on the presidency of the United States . The 1986 Constitution gives the president the power to appoint all cabinet ministers , judges, ambassadors, sheriffs , county officials and military officers with the advice and consent of the Senate . Additionally, the president has the power to dismiss all appointees from office at his or her discretion. The president may also grant pardons or revoke sentences and fines. The president conducts all matters of foreign policy, though any treaties or international agreements must be ratified by both houses of

513-607: The 1997 general election , Charles Taylor held the presidency until his resignation on August 11, 2003, as part of a peace deal to end the Second Liberian Civil War . His successor, Moses Blah , ceded executive power on October 13 of that year to Gyude Bryant , the chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia. The presidency was resumed on January 16, 2006, following the 2005 election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as

570-529: The Legislature . Furthermore, the president serves as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The Constitution also grants the president the power to declare a state of emergency during times of war or civil unrest and suspend civil liberties during the emergency as necessary, with the exception of habeas corpus . Within seven days of the declaration, the president must state to

627-569: The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). They invaded Nimba County on 24 December 1989. The Liberian Army retaliated against the whole population of the region, attacking unarmed civilians, mainly of the Mandingo tribe, and burning villages. Many left as refugees for Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, but opposition to Doe was inflamed. Prince Johnson , an NPFL fighter, split to form his own guerrilla force soon after crossing

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684-634: The Republican Party and the True Whig Party , ended in 1878, when the election of Anthony W. Gardiner marked the beginning of 102 years of one-party rule by the True Whigs. Following a coup d'état by disgruntled army NCOs and soldiers led by Samuel Doe in 1980, one-party rule of the True Whigs ended and the presidency was vacated until the election of Doe in the 1985 general election . After his overthrow and murder in 1990,

741-669: The United Nations . The peace lasted for two years until the Second Liberian Civil War broke out when anti-Taylor forces invaded Liberia from Guinea in April 1999. Samuel Doe took power in a popular rebellion in 1980 against the Liberian Government, becoming the first Liberian President of non Americo-Liberian descent. Doe established a military regime called the People's Redemption Council and enjoyed support from Liberian ethnic groups who were denied power since

798-462: The rebel siege on Monrovia and exiled Charles Taylor to Nigeria until he was arrested in 2006 and taken to The Hague for his trial. By the conclusion of the final war, more than 250,000 people had been killed and nearly 1 million displaced. Half that number remain to be repatriated in 2005, at the election of Liberia's first democratic President since the initial 1980 coup d'état of Samuel Doe. Former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , who initially

855-677: The 1st Infantry Battalion, to Nimba in December 1989-January 1990, apparently under then-Colonel Hezekiah Bowen. The AFL acted in a very brutal and scorched-earth fashion, which quickly alienated the local people. The rebel assault soon pitted ethnic Krahn sympathetic to the Doe regime against those victimized by it, the Gio and the Mano. Thousands of civilians were massacred on both sides. Hundreds of thousands fled their homes. The Monrovia Church massacre

912-847: The Akosombo Agreement, a supplement to the Cotonou agreement, named after the Benin city where it was signed. The security situation in Liberia remained poor. In October 1994, in the face of ECOMOG funding shortfalls and a lack of will by the Liberian combatants to honor agreements to end the war, the UN Security Council reduced to about 90 the number of UNOMIL observers. It extended UNOMIL's mandate and subsequently extended it several times until September 1997. In December 1994,

969-783: The Cotonou Peace Agreement, prior to elections originally planned for February/March 1994. Renewed armed hostilities broke out in May 1994 and continued, becoming especially intense in July and August. ECOMOG, and later UNOMIL, members were captured and held hostage by some factions. By mid-1994, the humanitarian situation had become disastrous, with 1.8 million Liberians in need of humanitarian assistance. Conditions continued to deteriorate, but humanitarian agencies were unable to reach many in need due to hostilities and general insecurity. Factional leaders agreed in September 1994 to

1026-726: The Freeport of Monrovia on August 24, 1990, landing from Nigerian and Ghanaian vessels. On 9 September 1990, Doe visited the newly established ECOMOG headquarters in the Free Port of Maher. According to Stephen Ellis, his motive was to complain that the ECOMOG commander had not paid a courtesy call to him as the Head of State; however, the exact circumstances that led to Doe's visit to the Free Port are still unclear. Doe had been under pressure to accept exile outside of Liberia. After Doe arrived,

1083-1139: The Government of India donated 25 Ashok Leyland Falcon buses. This donation was soon followed by the purchase of additional 8 new buses. This Liberia -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . First Liberian Civil War NPFL victory [REDACTED] Liberian government [REDACTED] ULIMO (1991–1994) [REDACTED] LPC (1993–1996) [REDACTED] LUDF (later becoming ULIMO ) [REDACTED] LDF (1993–1996) Supported by: ECOMOG ULIMO: [REDACTED] Alhaji Kromah (ULIMO-K since 1994) [REDACTED] Roosevelt Johnson (ULIMO-J since 1994) [REDACTED] Raleigh Seekie   † [REDACTED] General Butt Naked (ULIMO-J since 1994) [REDACTED] Jungle Jabbah (ULIMO-K since 1994) LPC: [REDACTED] George Boley LUDF: [REDACTED] Albert Karpeh   † FDL: [REDACTED] Francois Massaquoi Foreign support: [REDACTED] Sani Abacha The First Liberian Civil War

1140-782: The Independent National Patriotic Front (INPFL). The INPFL and NPFL continued their siege on Monrovia, which the AFL defended. In their Freedom in the World report for 1990, Freedom House described Monrovia by July as "a virtual ghost town of starving people and rotting corpses" as the rebel advance on the city caused widespread panic and anarchy, leading to Liberian soldiers looting shops and killing civilians at random, all while hunger and disease quickly took hold. Johnson swiftly took control of parts of Monrovia prompting evacuation of foreign nationals and diplomats by

1197-533: The Legislature the reasons for the declaration, which both houses must then approve by a two-thirds majority. Otherwise, the president must repeal the state of emergency. The president must sign all legislation passed by the House of Representatives and Senate. The president may choose to veto any legislation, which may be overturned by a two-thirds majority in both houses. Additionally, the president may exercise

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1254-666: The NPFL back beyond Monrovia's suburbs. In 1993, ECOWAS brokered a peace agreement in Cotonou , Benin. Following this, on September 22, 1993, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council established the UN Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), to support ECOMOG in implementing this peace agreement. UNOMIL was deployed in early 1994 with 368 military observers and associated civilian personnel to monitor implementation of

1311-615: The President's own tribe, the Krahn. The mistreatment of the Gio and Mano increased tensions in Liberia, which had already been rising due to Doe's preferential treatment of his own group. Charles Taylor , who had left Doe's government after being accused of embezzlement, assembled a group of rebels in Côte d'Ivoire (mostly ethnic Gios and Manos who felt persecuted by Doe) who later became known as

1368-629: The US Navy in August . In August 1990, the 16-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed to deploy a joint military intervention force, the Economic Community Monitoring Group ( ECOMOG ), and placed it under Nigerian leadership. The mission later included troops from non-ECOWAS countries, including Uganda and Tanzania. ECOMOG's objectives were to impose a cease-fire; help Liberians establish an interim government until elections could be held; stop

1425-406: The bloodshed. The bloodshed did slow considerably, but it did not end. Violent events flared up regularly after the putative end of the war. Taylor, furthermore, was accused of backing guerrillas in neighboring countries and funneling diamond money into arms purchases for the rebel armies he supported, and into luxuries for himself. The implicit unrest manifested during the late 1990s is emblematic in

1482-737: The border, based on the Gio tribe and named Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). Charles Taylor organized and trained indigenous northerners in Ivory Coast . During Doe's regime Taylor had served in the Liberian Government's General Services Agency, acting 'as its de facto director'. He fled to the United States in 1983 amid what Stephan Ellis describes as the 'increasingly menacing atmosphere in Monrovia' shortly before Thomas Quiwonkpa , Doe's chief lieutenant, fled into exile himself. Doe requested Taylor's extradition for embezzling $ 900,000 of Liberian government funds. Taylor

1539-755: The capital region, members of ECOWAS created the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to restore order. The force comprised some 4,000 troops from Nigeria , Ghana , Sierra Leone , the Gambia and Guinea . ECOMOG succeeded in bringing Taylor and Johnson to agree to its intervention, but Taylor's forces engaged it in the port area of Monrovia. A series of peacemaking conferences in regional capitals followed. There were meetings in Bamako in November 1990, Lomé in January 1991, and Yamoussoukro in June–October 1991. But

1596-630: The conference. Within days, hostilities resumed. ECOMOG was reinforced in order to protect the interim government. Sawyer was able to establish his authority over most of Monrovia, but the rest of Liberia was in the hands of various factions of the NPFL or of local gangs. The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) was formed in June 1991 by supporters of the late President Samuel K. Doe and former Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) fighters who had taken refuge in Guinea and Sierra Leone . It

1653-589: The country within a year. Doe was captured and executed by the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), a splinter faction of the NPFL led by Prince Johnson , in September 1990. The NPFL and INPFL fought each other for control of the capital city, Monrovia and against the Armed Forces of Liberia and pro-Doe United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy . Peace negotiations and foreign involvement led to

1710-516: The country, uprooted most of the rest, and destroyed a once-viable economic infrastructure. The strife also spread to Liberia's neighbors. It helped slow democratization in West Africa at the beginning of the 1990s and destabilized a region that already was one of the world's most unsteady. The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 and ended in October 2003, when ECOWAS intervened to stop

1767-423: The current Constitution, a presidential candidate must: Additionally, the president may not be from the same county as the vice president of Liberia . Under the original 1847 Constitution, the president was elected to a two-year term, which was increased to four years on May 7, 1907. Under this amendment, a new president would serve for eight years and could be re-elected to unlimited four-year terms. During

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1824-451: The diamond mining areas of Lofa and Bomi counties . From its outset, ULIMO was beset with internal divisions and the group effectively broke into two separate militias in 1994: ULIMO-J , an ethnic Krahn faction led by General Roosevelt Johnson ; and ULIMO-K , a Mandingo -based faction led by Alhaji G.V. Kromah . The group was alleged to have committed serious violations of human rights , both before and after its breakup. Peace

1881-581: The evacuation of most international non-governmental organizations and the destruction of much of Monrovia. The U.S. Armed Forces enacted Operation Assured Response which resulted in the removal of 485 Americans and over 2,400 citizens hailing from 68 countries. In August 1996, these battles were ended by the Abuja Accord in Nigeria, agreeing to disarmament and demobilization by 1997 and elections in July of that year. 3 September 1996, Sankawulo

1938-610: The factions and other parties signed the Accra Agreement, a supplement to the Akosombo Agreement. Disagreements ensued and fighting continued. In August 1995, the main factions signed an agreement largely brokered by Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings . At a conference sponsored by ECOWAS, the United Nations and the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of African Unity , Charles Taylor agreed to

1995-644: The first elected female head of state in Africa. On January 22, 2024, Joseph Boakai was sworn in as the twenty-sixth and current president of Liberia. Following the establishment of the Commonwealth of Liberia in 1838, executive power was vested in the governor of Liberia, who was appointed and served at the pleasure of the American Colonization Society . The first governor, Thomas Buchanan , served from 1838 until his death in 1841. He

2052-431: The first female president. George Weah was elected in 2017 as the 25th president of Liberia. Incumbent president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf signed Executive Order No. 91, thus establishing a Joint Presidential Transition Team, due to the fact that Liberia had "not experienced the transfer of power from one democratically elected president to another democratically elected president for over 70 years". The presidency of Liberia

2109-773: The first seven peace conferences, including the Yamoussoukro I-IV processes failed. In November 1990, ECOWAS invited the principal Liberian players to meet in Banjul , Gambia to form a government of national unity. The negotiated settlement established the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), led by Dr. Amos Sawyer , leader of the LPP. Bishop Ronald Diggs of the Liberian Council of Churches became vice president. However, Taylor's NPFL refused to attend

2166-547: The former Commanding General of the Armed Forces of Liberia whom Doe had demoted and forced to flee the country, attempted to overthrow Doe's regime from neighbouring Sierra Leone . The coup attempt failed and Quiwonkpa was killed and allegedly eaten. His body was publicly exhibited on the grounds of the Executive Mansion in Monrovia soon after his death. The Gio and Mano ethnic groups were persecuted because they were suspected of treason and were seen as inferiors to

2223-418: The founding of the country in 1847. Any hope that Doe would improve the way Liberia was run was put aside as he quickly clamped down on opposition, fueled by his paranoia of a counter-coup attempt against him. As promised, Doe held elections in 1985 and won the presidency by just enough of a margin to avoid a runoff. However, international monitors condemned this election as fraudulent. Thomas Quiwonkpa ,

2280-434: The government and gaining control of the local diamond fields, leading to the Second Liberian Civil War . The Liberian civil war was one of Africa's bloodiest. From 1989 to 1996, it claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. Child soldiers were used throughout the war. The civil war claimed the lives of one out of every 17 people in

2337-517: The killing of innocent civilians; and ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals. ECOMOG also sought to prevent the conflict from spreading into neighboring states, which share a complex history of state, economic, and ethno-linguistic social relations with Liberia. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attempted to persuade Doe to resign and go into exile, but despite his weak position – besieged in his mansion – he refused. ECOMOG , an ECOWAS intervention force, arrived at

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2394-468: The presidency of William Tolbert , the Constitution was amended to restrict the president to a single eight-year term; by 1976, voices in the legislature were being raised in favor of returning to the previous system, but Tolbert proclaimed his support for the existing system and vowed to veto any constitutional amendments to remove term limits. Currently, the president is elected by popular vote to

2451-475: The presidency was again vacated for seven years during the First Liberian Civil War and again for two years following the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. Under the 1986 Constitution , the president is directly elected by eligible voters to a six-year term, which may be renewed once. Overall, 25 individuals have served as president, including Ellen Johnson Sirleaf ,

2508-462: The presidential poll (no other candidate won more than 10 per cent) while the NPP won a similar proportion of seats in both parliamentary chambers. 2 August 1997, Ruth Perry handed power to elected president Charles Taylor. In 1997, the Liberian people elected Charles Taylor as the President after he entered the capital city, Monrovia , by force. Liberians had voted for Taylor in the hope that he would end

2565-542: The sharp national economic decline and the prevalent sale of diamonds and timber in exchange for small arms. After Taylor's victory, Liberia was sufficiently peaceful that refugees began to return. But other leaders were forced to leave the country, and some ULIMO forces reformed as the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). LURD began fighting in Lofa County with the aim of destabilizing

2622-511: The time of their inauguration, each president is required under the Constitution to take a presidential oath promising to preserve and defend the Constitution and faithfully execute the law. The oath is administered by the chief justice of Liberia in front of a joint session of the legislature. In 2006, the Executive Mansion was under renovations due to a fire that damaged parts of the building in July of that year. The office of

2679-464: Was a five year old at the onset of the war. General: President of Liberia The president of the Republic of Liberia is the head of state and government of Liberia . The president serves as the leader of the executive branch and as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia . Prior to the independence of Liberia in 1847, executive power in the Commonwealth of Liberia

2736-402: Was a strong supporter of Charles Taylor, was inaugurated in January 2006 and the National Transitional Government of Liberia terminated its power. Charles Taylor was sentenced to a trial in 2003, after being accused of rape and acts of sexual violence, promoting child soldiers, and an illegal ownership of weapons. He denied these accusations but was eventually testified against by his victims. He

2793-617: Was carried out by approximately 30 ethnic Krahn government soldiers, killing 600 civilians in St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Monrovia, on 29 July 1990, the worst single atrocity of the First Liberian Civil War. By May 1990 the AFL had been forced back to Gbarnga , still under the control of Bowen's troops, but they lost the town to a NPFL assault on 28 May. By June 1990, Taylor's forces were laying siege to Monrovia. In July 1990, Prince Yormie Johnson split from Taylor and formed

2850-448: Was held by the governor of Liberia , who was appointed by the American Colonization Society . The 1847 Constitution transferred the executive powers of the governorship to the presidency, which was largely modeled on the presidency of the United States . Between 1847 and 1980, the presidency was exclusively held by Americo-Liberians , the original American settlers of Liberia and their descendants. The original two-party system , with

2907-570: Was led by Raleigh Seekie, a deputy Minister of Finance in the Doe government. After fighting alongside the Sierra Leonean army against the Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, ULIMO forces entered western Liberia in September 1991. The group scored significant gains in areas held by another rebel group – Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), notably around

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2964-412: Was still far off as both Taylor and Johnson claimed power. ECOMOG declared an Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) with Amos Sawyer as their president, with the broad support of Johnson. Taylor launched an assault on Monrovia on October 15, 1992, named 'Operation Octopus' which may have been led by Burkina Faso soldiers. The resulting siege lasted two months. By late December, ECOMOG had pushed

3021-520: Was succeeded by Joseph Jenkins Roberts , the first person of African descent to serve as governor of Liberia. Upon independence in 1847, Roberts was elected as the first president of Liberia. The 1847 Constitution denied suffrage to the indigenous population by requiring voters to own real estate. As a result, the presidency was exclusively held by Americo-Liberians until 1980, when a military coup led by Samuel Doe , an ethnic Krahn , overthrew and murdered President William Tolbert . The presidency

3078-584: Was the first of two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe 's regime of totalitarianism and widespread corruption led to calls for withdrawal of the support of the United States , by the late 1980s. The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast to overthrow Doe in December 1989 and gained control over most of

3135-671: Was then sentenced to 50 years in prison. Peace agreements signed included the: Liberia during this civil war is one of the numerous locations worldwide depicted in The Savage Detectives ( Los Detectives Salvajes in Spanish), a novel by the Chilean author Roberto Bolaño published in 1998, just after the end of this war. The 2020 memoir by Liberian-American author Wayétu Moore , The Dragons, The Giant, The Women , recounts her family's flight from Monrovia when she

3192-528: Was thus arrested in the United States and after sixteen months broke out of a Massachusetts jail in circumstances that are still unclear. The NPFL initially encountered plenty of support within Nimba County, which had endured the majority of Samuel Doe's wrath after the 1985 attempted coup. Thousands of Gio and Mano joined when Taylor and his force of 100 rebels reentered Liberia in 1989, on Christmas Eve. Doe responded by sending two AFL battalions, including

3249-404: Was vacant from 1980 to 1986, with executive power held by Doe as the head of the People's Redemption Council . Doe was later elected president in the 1985 general election , making him the first president outside of the Americo-Liberian elite. Doe was later overthrown and murdered in 1990 following the commencement First Liberian Civil War , during which the presidency remained vacant. Following

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