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115-622: The Armed Forces of Liberia ( AFL ) are the armed forces of the Republic of Liberia . Tracing its origins to a militia that was formed by the first black colonists in what is now Liberia, it was founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, and retitled in 1956. For almost all of its history, the AFL has received considerable materiel and training assistance from the United States. For most of

230-511: 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

345-608: 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,

460-568: 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 . Freeport of Monrovia As early as 1850, seagoing ships began exporting palm oil from a port at Monrovia. During World War II , the United States Armed Forces landed in Liberia to ensure

575-461: A coup on April 12, 1980. The group was made up of Master Sergeant Samuel Doe , two staff sergeants , four sergeants , eight corporals , and two privates . They found President Tolbert sleeping in his office in the Executive Mansion and there they killed him. While then-Sergeant Thomas Quiwonkpa led the plotters, it was the group led by Samuel Doe that found Tolbert in his office, and it

690-533: 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

805-570: 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

920-541: 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

1035-610: A month before the President of Liberia dismissed the strikers. In 1990, during the First Liberian Civil War , President Samuel Doe was captured at the port by Prince Johnson and later executed elsewhere. In 1995, the M/V Mush sank after being overloaded and hindered port traffic until removed in 1998. On July 25, 2001, the M/V Torm Alexandra sunk at the port, blocking one of the berths. After years of failed efforts to remove

1150-518: 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

1265-504: 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

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1380-509: A very brutal and scorched-earth fashion which quickly alienated the local people. Taylor's support rose rapidly, as the Mano and Gio flocked to his National Patriotic Front of Liberia seeking revenge. Many government soldiers deserted, some to join the NPFL. The inability of the AFL to make any headway was one of the reasons why Doe changed his field commander in the area five times in the first six months of

1495-596: 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

1610-512: 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

1725-597: Is Armed Forces Day , having been proclaimed in 2011. The New National Defense Act of 2008 was approved on August 21, 2008. It repeals the National Defense Act of 1956, the Coast Guard Act of 1959, and the Liberian Navy Act of 1986. The duties and functions of the AFL are officially stated as follows: The modern Armed Forces of Liberia grew out of a militia that was formed by the first black colonists from

1840-485: 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

1955-416: 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

2070-738: Is depicted below, and the Liberian Coast Guard. Until 1980, by law every able-bodied male between the ages of 16 and 45 years was to serve in the militia, though this stipulation was not enforced. On January 26, 1957, the Liberian Legislature set aside Feb 11, 1957, as Armed Forces Day. Speaking in 2012, Jonathan B. B. Hart, the Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Liberia recalled that "..the Sierra Leoneans were sent to Liberia to take over

2185-616: Is not new." At the start of the 1960s, Liberia dispatched troops, including a movement control unit, to support ONUC during the Congo Crisis , and were airlifted into the Congo by the United States Air Force. The Liberian troops were initially in Équateur province . In 1961, during their first combat action in the country, 300 Liberian troops repelled an attack by 5,000 Baluba tribesmen and their European officers. The National Guard

2300-528: 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

2415-428: 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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2530-401: 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

2645-575: 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

2760-697: The Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), the Special Operations Division of the Liberian National Police , and the Special Security Service. On November 19, 1999, Taylor named General Kpenkpah Konah as the new Chief of Staff of the AFL (where he would stay until 2006) and John Tarnue as head of the army. Tarnue was later implicated in a land dispute in 1999, while acting as AFL commander. The International Crisis Group writes that

2875-612: The Anti-Terrorist Unit saw most of the fighting. 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

2990-653: 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

3105-518: 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

3220-605: 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

3335-1118: 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

3450-519: 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

3565-430: 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

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3680-522: The 1941–89 period, training was largely provided by U.S. advisers, though this assistance has not prevented the same generally low levels of effectiveness common to most of the armed forces in the developing world . For most of the Cold War , the AFL saw little action, apart from a reinforced company group which was sent to ONUC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1960s. This changed with

3795-476: 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

3910-623: The AFL included Major General Alexander Harper (1952–54), Lieutenant General Abraham Jackson (1954–60), Albert T. White (1964–65), Lieutenant General George T. Washington (late 1960s), Lieutenant General Henry Johnson (1970–74), Lieutenant General Franklin Smith, and Lieutenant General Henry Dubar (1980–1990). When William Tolbert replaced the long-serving William Tubman as president in 1971, he retired more than 400 aging soldiers. Sawyer comments that "retired soldiers were replaced by young recruits from urban areas, many of whom were then poorly trained at

4025-568: The AFL should be reorganized. The commission, led by Blamoh Nelson, Director of the Cabinet, submitted its report on December 17, 1998, recommending a 6,000-strong armed forces (5,160 Army, 600 Navy, and 240 Air Force) but the proposal was never implemented. Instead Taylor ran down the Armed Forces, letting go 2,400–2,600 former personnel, many of whom were Krahn brought in by former President Doe, in December 1997 – January 1998, and building up instead

4140-479: The AFL was reduced practically to the point of non-existence by fall 2001, by which time a total of 4,000 personnel had been retired. The Second Liberian Civil War originated in clashes in April 1999 but was not a major threat to Taylor until 2000–01. However, on the government side the AFL played only a minor role; irregular ex National Patriotic Front of Liberia militias backed by more privileged Taylor partisans such as

4255-407: The AFL, among others with Quiwonkpa's Gio tribe , and to hamper morale. "... Military discipline was an early casualty of the coup. The revolt had been an enlisted men's affair, and one of the first instructions broadcast over the radio had ordered soldiers not to obey their officers. Over four years later, according to observers, the reluctance of most officers to impose discipline had combined with

4370-610: The Abuja Accords of August 1996. The AFL was confined to an enclave around the capital during the conflict, and did not play a significant part in the fighting. Elections in July 1997 finally brought Taylor to power. Under the accords, which led to a break in fighting in 1996 and the Liberian general election, 1997 , ECOMOG was to retrain a new national army based on fair ethnic and geographical representation. Yet Taylor denied ECOMOG any role in

4485-520: The American Krag and Peabody rifles, as well as German Mausers . U.S. Army Forces in Liberia commanded by Brigadier General Percy Lee Sadler also established an officer candidate school during the later part of World War II, using instructors selected from the American troops in the country. The school conducted two courses and graduated nearly 300 new officers. Just under twenty years later in 1964,

4600-703: The Armed Forces of Liberia under the Amended National Defense Law of 1956, though other sources say February 1962, which appears to have been the date the land force became the Liberian National Guard. Liebenow says that the LFF was 'restyled the National Guard in 1962.' From this period, Liberia's armed forces consisted of the Liberian National Guard, the Liberian Militia, whose ostensible structure

4715-618: 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

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4830-679: The Freeport of Monrovia for WCL’s export of iron ore. WCL’s Mineral Development Agreement signed with the government of Liberia in August 2011 for the development of iron ore mines in Bea, Bomi and Mano River Mines in western Liberia required the company to enter into a Port Lease and Operating Agreement with the NPA for the shipping of its iron ore through the Freeport of Monrovia. The agreement allows WCL to construct loading and unloading facilities including rehabilitation of

4945-487: 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

5060-716: 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

5175-477: 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

5290-739: The Military Police Unit. Also at BTC was the Logistical Command, consisting of a depot, arsenal (whose location had been declared unsafe), the AFL Quartermaster Corps, and the AFL Transportation Company. Strength was reported to be 4,822 in 1978. The Liberian Militia Organization of the Liberian Militia, according to the National Defense Law 1956 Two Divisional Headquarters While militia service

5405-653: The Militia Reserve." During World War II, U.S. involvement in the country increased greatly. A steady supply of rubber from the world's largest rubber plantation, operated at Harbel by the Firestone Company since 1926 was vital. Thus the US government built roads, created an international airport (known as Robertsfield ), and transformed the capital by building a deep water port (the Freeport of Monrovia ). Black ("Colored") United States Army troops arrived from June 1942. During

5520-437: The Ministry of Defense. The LAF was to be headed by a colonel in his capacity as Assistant Chief of Defense Staff for the Air Force and was mandated to do the following: to train personnel and develop doctrine; advise the Chief of Staff of the AFL on matters relating to the Air Force. In 1989 two refurbished DHC-4 Caribou , a single Piper Aztec light twin and three IAI Arava STOL twins were delivered. Charles Taylor invaded

5635-405: 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

5750-612: The Second Infantry Battalion at Camp Todee in northern Montserrado County , and the Sixth Infantry Battalion at Bomi Hills —were tactical elements designed to operate against hostile forces. The other battalions, the Third Infantry Battalion based at the Barclay Training Centre in Monrovia, the Fourth Infantry Battalion at Zwedru in Grand Gedeh County , and the Fifth Infantry Battalion at Gbarnga in Bong County served mostly as providers of personnel for non-military duties. Soldiers in these units were used extensively as policemen, customs and immigration officials, and as tax collectors. In

5865-437: 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

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5980-463: The Tubman Military Academy. This development dramatically changed the character of the military in Liberia." ( Samuel Doe was among this group.) Amos Sawyer also comments that "recruitment of such individuals for the military was part of Tolbert's efforts to replace aging, illiterate soldiers with younger, literate men who were capable of absorbing technical and professional training." The AFL became involved in politics when seventeen soldiers launched

6095-606: 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"

6210-425: The United States. The militia was first formed when in August 1822 an attack was feared on Cape Mesurado (where Monrovia now is) and the agent of the settlements directed the mobilization of all "able-bodied males into a militia and declared martial law." By 1846, the size of the militia had grown to two regiments. Following independence in 1847, the militia continued to serve as the country's defense force Following

6325-404: The advent of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989. The AFL became entangled in the conflict, which lasted from 1989 to 1996–97, and then the Second Liberian Civil War , which lasted from 1999 to 2003. As of 2014, the AFL consists of an infantry brigade , an air wing, and the coast guard . For several years after the war, a Nigerian Army officer served as head of the armed forces. 11 February

6440-465: The aftermath of the rigged elections of 1985, which Doe manipulated to solidify his power, Quiwonkpa returned from his U.S. exile to enter Liberia from Sierra Leone. On November 12, 1985, he entered Monrovia with a group of dissident soldiers, took over the national Liberia Broadcasting System radio station and announced that the 'National Patriotic Forces of Liberia' had seized power. Adekeye says that Quiwonkpa erred in 'fail[ing] to establish control over

6555-432: The army by the British government because it had given Liberia a loan." .. "The Sierra Leonean commanders took orders from the British government and not the President of Liberia, then Arthur Barclay. When they began to misbehave, the army was turned over to a Liberian who refused. It was during that time that some soldiers took to the streets in demand of salary arrears, so soldiers getting in the streets.. in demand of salary

6670-661: 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

6785-400: The brigade was described as comprising a Headquarters and Headquarters Company at the Barclay Training Center, Monrovia, the Executive Mansion Guard Battalion on Capitol Hill, Monrovia, the Engineer Battalion and the First Field Artillery Battalion (both at Camp Jackson, Naama) two tactical combat battalions (the First Infantry Battalion, at Schiefflin and the Second Infantry Battalion which in

6900-480: 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

7015-457: The coastal aristocracy or tribal elites. Liberia joined the Allies in both World War I and World War II . The only troops dispatched overseas were a few individuals to France during World War I, and reported volunteers under U.S. command in World War II, but none served in combat in either war. A law of 20 February 1940 stipulated that the armed forces of the Republic "shall consist ..of the Frontier Force, of twelve companies ..the Militia, ..and

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7130-419: The company and the National Port Authority to run the port. According to the terms of the agreement, APM Terminals will modernize the port and its staff, bringing it in line with international standards. In October 2012, Western Cluster Limited (WCL) signed a Port Lease and Operating Agreement with the management of the National Port Authority (NPA) for the rehabilitation and construction of infrastructures at

7245-477: The company's actions as "...After a poor start, the performance of the contingent improved steadily; the last company, which returned home in May 1963, had performed creditably and, by its conduct and appearance, gave the impression of being a well-trained and disciplined military organization." Liebenow writes that the head of the National Guard was arrested, along with others, in February 1963, to forestall an alleged coup, and that Tubman had announced that following

7360-403: The country at Butuo in Nimba County on Christmas Eve 1989 with a force of around 150 men, initiating the First Liberian Civil War . Doe responded by sending two AFL battalions to Nimba in December 1989 – January 1990, under then-Colonel Hezekiah Bowen . The Liberian government forces assumed that most of the Mano and Gio peoples in the Nimba region were supporting the rebels. They thus acted in

7475-511: The country for exile in the United States. In place of Dubar, Brigadier General Charles Julu, former commander of the Executive Mansion Guard Battalion, was appointed Chief of Staff. Two Liberian Coast Guard vessels were sunk in the battles for the city. The NPFL had been distributing weapons to Gio civilians after it arrived in Nimba, where many were very interested in taking their revenge on the government after Doe had punished Nimba country for its support of Quiwonkpa in 1983 and 1985. By July 1990

7590-497: The country's communications system and resisted a frontal attack on the Executive Mansion.' These mistakes allowed Doe the time to rally the Krahn-dominated Executive Mansion Guard and 1st Infantry Battalion from Camp Schieffelin to reestablish control. Quiwonkpa was captured, killed, and mutilated, his body being dismembered and parts eaten. In the aftermath of the attempted coup, purges took place in Monrovia and in Nimba County , Quiwonkpa's home, against those who had rejoiced after

7705-424: 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

7820-593: The coup announcement. As many as 1,500 people may have been killed. The AFL was purged of Gio soldiers. Under Samuel Doe the Coast Guard was retitled the Liberian Navy in 1986 through the passage of The Liberian Navy Act of 1986. The Aviation Unit was founded in 1970 with the delivery of three Cessna U-17C light aircraft. An Aviation Unit aircraft crashed at Spriggs-Payne in 1984. In 1985 it operated three fixed-wing aircraft from Spriggs Payne Airport in Monrovia, including Cessna 172s . Their duties included reconnaissance and transport of light cargo and VIPs. The Aviation Unit

7935-400: The early 1970s the militia reported a strength of some 4,000 poorly trained and ill-equipped men. The 1978 Annual Report of the Liberian Ministry of National Defense said that "The various militia regiments, in accordance with the law, held quarterly parades. ...Furthermore, the entire Regiments were out in full strength during burial occasions." By the time it was disbanded in 1980, the militia

8050-473: 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

8165-448: 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

8280-524: The flow of rubber exports for use in wartime materials. These forces improved the port facilities in Monrovia and built an artificial harbor with two breakwaters . In 1948, this new 750 acres (3.0 km ) bay opened. The national government took over the port from an American company in 1971 and created the National Port Authority to operate the facility. A strike in 1981 crippled the port for

8395-461: 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

8510-585: 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

8625-539: The government began to distribute weapons to civilians in turn, to Krahn and Mandingo who wished to protect themselves. These hastily enlisted civilians became known as '1990 soldiers.' A '1990 soldier' which the President had personally picked, Tailey Yonbu, led a massacre of refugees, mostly Gio and Mano civilians, on the night of July 29/30, 1990 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Sinkor , Monrovia. Some 600 were killed. Because of

8740-576: The group still made up over 50% of the officer corps of the AFL. From 1945 to 1964, the officers appointed were nearly all college graduates. From 1951, there was a US military mission based in Liberia to assist in training the AFL. A Reserve Officers' Training Corps was established in 1956 with units at the University of Liberia in Monrovia and the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata . By 1978

8855-825: 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

8970-529: 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

9085-512: The intervening period had moved from the BTC to Camp Tolbert, Todee) and three non-tactical battalions, tasked with providing guard services to government officials, tax collection, and 'other non-military duties'. The Third Infantry Battalion covered Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, and Grand Bassa counties from BTC. The Fourth Infantry Battalion covered Grand Gedeh , Sinoe and Maryland counties from Camp Whisnant, Zwedru . The Fifth Infantry Battalion

9200-748: The labour strikes of 1966, a foreign power had attempted to bribe army officers to stage a coup. In addition, Albert T. White, Commanding Officer of the LNG, was 'rusticated' by Tubman to become the Superintendent of Grand Gedeh County in 1966, though he was later 'rehabilitated'. In 1964 the US Army Area Handbook described the National Guard as 3,000 strong with a headquarters company, the Executive Mansion Guard Battalion in Monrovia, three infantry battalions and one engineer battalion (which

9315-533: 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

9430-504: The militia was established on a permanent basis as the 500-strong Liberian Frontier Force (LFF). The LFF's original mission was "to patrol the border in the Hinterland [against British and French territorial ambitions] and to prevent disorders." The LFF was initially placed under the command of British Major MacKay Cadell , who was quickly replaced under threat of arms after he complained the Force

9545-602: The model of the United States Army . In 1900, Liberian men between the ages of sixteen and fifty were considered liable for service in the militia. The militia also had a navy consisting of two small gunboats. In the 1850s, the Liberian president requested naval support from the British government to transport Liberian troops to the Gallinas territory to punish Liberians there who persisted in slave trafficking. On February 6, 1908,

9660-564: 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,

9775-514: 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

9890-906: The outside bounds of the port. A series of peacemaking conferences in regional capitals followed. There were meetings in Bamako in November 1990, Lome in January 1991, and Yamoussoukro in June–October 1991. The first seven peace conferences, including the Yamoussoukro I-IV processes and the Carter Center negotiation leading to the Cotonou Accords, failed due to lack of agreement between the warring factions. The NPFL launched an assault on Monrovia in 1992, which they named 'Operation Octopus.' The civil war lasted until

10005-469: 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

10120-498: The previous ethnic purges carried out by Doe's forces, the conflict took on characteristics of an ethnic pogrom. In August 1990 the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) dispatched a peacekeeping force, ECOMOG , to Liberia. The force arrived at the Freeport of Monrovia on August 24, 1990, landing from Nigerian and Ghanaian vessels. By the time ECOMOG arrived, Prince Johnson's INPFL and Taylor's NPFL were fighting on

10235-595: The program had been redesignated the Army Student Training Program (ASTP) and had a total of 46 students at the University of Liberia , the Booker Washington Institute , and three smaller institutions. However it was not until the late 1960s that the Tubman Military Academy was established in Todee District , upper Montserrado County , as an officer training facility. The LFF was renamed as

10350-546: 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

10465-544: The restructuring of the AFL, and the force eventually left Liberia by the end of 1998. During the 1990–99 period, Chiefs of Staff included Lieutenant Colonel Davis S. Brapoh, Lieutenant General Hezekiah Bowen (later Minister of Defense), Lieutenant General A.M.V. Doumuyah, and Lieutenant General Kalilu Abe Kromah , appointed during the interim rule of the Council of State in 1996, who was chief of staff from May 1996 to April 1997. Following Kromah, Lieutenant General Prince C. Johnson

10580-475: 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

10695-476: The ship, the ship was raised and removed in a private operation financed by the United States government in May 2009. In 2002, the port authority completed dredging the harbor's entrance to allow for second and third generation vessels to visit. In 2010, the Liberian government signed a $ 120 million (~$ 164 million in 2023) concession agreement with APM Terminals , establishing a public-private partnership between

10810-554: 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

10925-425: The unwillingness of more than a few enlisted men to accept it." The launch of Doe's coup meant that Major William Jarbo, another soldier with political ambitions who was said to have excellent connections to U.S. security officials, had had his takeover plans forestalled. He tried to escape abroad but was hunted down and killed by the new government. The junta started to split in 1983, with Doe telling Quiwonkpa that he

11040-532: 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

11155-485: The war, funding provided by the United States allowed an increase in the Frontier Force's strength to around 1,500. The armed forces came to rely almost exclusively on American assistance in terms of training, with non-US training "tend[ing] to be brief and uninspired [with little] accomplished other than some desultory close-order drill." As a result of American arms sales, by the 1920s Liberian forces were equipped with

11270-479: The war. Field commanders apparently included Brigadier General Edward Smith. 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 by the end of May 1990, at which time the NPFL also captured Buchanan on the coast. The NPFL had now gathered an estimated 10,000 fighters while the AFL, splintering, could only summon 2,000. The revolt reached Monrovia by July 1990, and General Dubar left

11385-421: Was Doe, as a master sergeant the highest ranking of the group, who went on the radio the next day to announce the overthrow of the long-entrenched True Whig Party government. Doe became Head of State and co-chair of the new People's Redemption Council government. Quiwonkpa became commander of the army and the other co-chair of the PRC. (In the aftermath of the coup, the title of LNG Brigade commanding general

11500-611: Was appointed, who died in October 1999 following a car accident. Shortly after the induction of Taylor as elected president of Liberia in August 1997, the Ministry of National Defense determined that the strength of the AFL had risen during the war from 6,500 to 14,981 service members. To begin demobilization, the AFL Chief of Staff published Special Orders No. 1 on January 1, 1998, demobilizing and retiring 2,250 personnel. The demobilization process

11615-741: Was at Gbarnga . Other field units of the brigade were the Armoured Unit, at Camp Ram Rod, Paynesward City (possibly Paynesville ), Monrovia , and the Bella Yella Special Detachment, Camp Bella Yella, Lofa . Bella Yella was of course the location of the feared Bella Yella prison . The Service Support Battalion was located at BTC, and comprised the Medical Company, the Brigade Band, the Brigade Special Unit (a parade unit) and

11730-784: Was based at the Barclay Training Center (BTC) in Monrovia , and was composed of six infantry battalions , a military engineer battalion (which circa 1974 under the command of Colonel Robert M. Blamo completed an airstrip at Belefania Town), a field artillery battalion (the First Field Artillery Battalion, reportedly at Camp Naama in Bong County ) and a support battalion. Three of the infantry units—the First Infantry Battalion, stationed at Camp Schieffelin,

11845-459: 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

11960-424: Was compulsory by law for all eligible males, the law was only enforced in a lax manner. From the mid-1960s, and in its later years, members of the militia met only quarterly for sparsely attended drill practice. Estimates of men enrolled over the years vary. The 1964 US Army Area Handbook said that "some 20,000 men are estimated to be enrolled." The IISS estimated militia numbers at 5,000 in 1967 and 6,000 in 1970. By

12075-442: Was confusingly changed to commanding general of the AFL, reporting to the chief of staff, and it was this position that Quiwonkpa inherited.) Henry Dubar (who had helped recruit Doe personally years before) was promoted in one leap from captain to lieutenant general as chief of staff. From 1980 onward, Doe's systematic promotion of ethnic Krahn to sensitive posts in the government and military, began to drive deepening divisions within

12190-576: Was considered to be completely ineffective as a military force. The armed forces' third arm, the Liberian National Coast Guard, was established in 1959. Throughout the Tubman period the coastguard was little more than a few sometimes unserviceable patrol craft manned by ill-trained personnel, though its training improved in the 1980s to the point where it was considered the best trained of the armed services. From 1952 onwards, Chiefs of Staff of

12305-403: Was delayed and badly managed, and only on April 22, 1998, did payments began to be issued to the demobilizing personnel, without prior explanation of what exactly the payments represented. Demonstrations and protests by the demobilized personnel eventually led to a riot in which three died on May 5, 1998. As a result, Taylor authorised the formation of a commission to submit recommendations on how

12420-727: Was expanded in the 1980s with the delivery of more Cessna aircraft: three 172s, a 206, 207 and two single engined turboprop 208s. The Liberian Air Force was established from the Aviation Unit by an Act of Legislature on August 12, 1987. Its statutory responsibilities were to: protect and defend the air space of the Republic of Liberia; protect lives and properties; provide air mobility for military and civil personnel; assist in search and rescue operations; undertake emergency operations; conduct reconnaissance patrols; participate in joint military operations and perform other duties as may be designated by

12535-491: Was newly formed at Camp Naama in 1962 and only had one company organized). The three infantry battalions were the 1st Infantry Battalion, at Camp Schiefflin, situated on the airport road between Monrovia and Roberts International Airport , the 2nd Infantry Battalion, HQ at Barclay Training Center (BTC), Monrovia, and the 3rd Infantry Battalion, HQ at Baworobo, Maryland County . By 1978, the LNG Brigade had been established and

12650-596: Was not a high status force: "It was a skeleton brigade of soldiers who were predominantly from the lower economic and social stratum of society. They were poorly paid, and had less than decent facilities for accommodation and care." Despite this, a Liberian company, designated the Reinforced Security Company, was contributed to the United Nations Operation in the Congo in the early 1960s. Six rotations were made. The 1964 US Army Area Handbook described

12765-459: Was not being properly paid. In 1912, the United States established military ties with Liberia by sending some five black American officers to help reorganize the force. The LFF in its early years was frequently recruited by inducing men from the interior forcibly. When dispatched to the interior to quell tribal unrest, units often lived off the areas that they were pacifying, as a form of communal punishment. The Force's officers were drawn from either

12880-448: Was planning to move Quiwonkpa from command of the army to a position as secretary-general of the People's Redemption Council . Unhappy with this proposed change, Quiwonkpa fled into exile in late 1983, along with his aide-de-camp Prince Johnson . In 1984 the AFL included the Liberian National Guard (LNG) Brigade and related units (6,300 men), and the Liberian National Coast Guard (about 450 men). The brigade, formed between 1964 and 1978,

12995-542: 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

13110-533: 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

13225-498: 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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