Liberia

Liberian Conflict Overview Page - Global Security.

Operation Sharp Edge Overview Page - Global Security.

Liberia: America's Stepchild - Major J. E. Herring, USMC. US Marine Corps Command and Staff College research paper, 1997. In 1990, Liberia exploded into a bloody civil war that continues to this day. During this time, USMC forces have engaged in three incursions into Liberia, the last one occurring in May 1996. Despite these recent actions, most military officers remain largely unaware of the Liberian war, its causes, or the historical ‘special relationship’ existing between the United States and Liberia. To that end, this paper serves to provide an overview of the Liberian experience with an emphasis on analyzing the economic, political, and historical, casual factors that led to the initiation of the Liberian civil war as well as those factors which contribute to the continuation of the war to this day.

ECOWAS and the Liberia Experience: Peacekeeping and Self Preservation - Natalie Brown, US Department of State. US Marine Corps Command and Staff College thesis, 1999. The cooperation of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in restoring stability to Liberia was more a reflection of their individual interests than it was a group effort to ensure regional security. In 1975 West African nations convened in Lagos and adopted the ECOWAS Treaty to promote regional integration and establish an economic union of the area's Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone countries. ECOWAS has been moderately successful. It constructed highways, promoted anti-drug policies, and created a regional travelers' check, but the original goals remain elusive. Boundary disputes, periods of civil unrest in many of the countries, and enduring tensions between the French-speaking and English-speaking states impeded the formation of a real community. Despite its economic shortcomings, ECOWAS had one notable success. Its military arm, the Economic Community of West African States Military Observer Group (ECOMOG), restored peace and stability to Liberia. Liberia endured a violent, seven-year civil war as a result of a 1989 attempt by rebels to overthrow the government. Over the objections of some member states, ECOWAS created and deployed a military force to Liberia. The five-nation 3,500-person force that landed in Monrovia in 1990 would swell to a presence of more than 10,000 and represent the majority of the Community by 1996. Upon its 1998 departure, ECOMOG had negotiated peace accords and cease-fires, disarmed rebels, evacuated expatriates, and created conditions for transparent elections. Buoyed by its success in Liberia, ECOWAS sent peacekeeping forces to other countries in turmoil. It further proposed the formation of a stand-by crisis response force and the creation of a permanent mechanism for conflict resolution. A cursory look at the experience suggests that West Africans were united in seeking to end the carnage. Stability and the humanitarian situation were concerns, but the participating states were motivated by their unique self-interests: domestic security, a desire to exert greater influence over the region, and pursuit of a better standing in the international community.

Lessons Learned on the Start-up Phase of United Nations Mission in Liberia - Peacekeeping Best Practices Unit, April 2004. This study reviews the start-up phase of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and identifies lessons that should be applied to other start-up peacekeeping operations. It does not examine the mission planning process or operational activities of UNMIL.