The National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) was Liberia 's legislative body during the country's transition from civil war to democratic rule (October 2003–January 2006).
41-498: The NTLA was created as part of an August 2003 peace agreement that ended a civil war between government forces of President Charles Taylor and two rebel groups - Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL). It also called for the creation of a broad-based transitional government that would rule for two years, ending with
82-590: A Justice Minister in the Taylor government were elected unopposed as Speaker and Deputy Speaker in October 2003. Both were suspended indefinitely on 14 March 2005, along with two other members, for spending money without proper authorization. A vote held on 17 March resulted in George Koukou being elected acting Speaker and David Gbala chosen as Deputy Speaker. Koukou received 39 votes while his only opponent Fayah Gbollie ,
123-515: A continuous advance, seem to have been the pattern. Through the first half of 2002 LURD mounted raids in Bomi, Bong, and Montserrado counties, hitting, in addition to Klay Junction, Gbarnga and Tubmanburg , each time temporarily seizing control from government fighters. In May, an attack on Arthington , less than 20 kilometres from the capital, apparently prompted panic in Monrovia. The state of emergency
164-630: A former presidential candidate and representative of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), won 4. Second Liberian Civil War Rebel victory [REDACTED] Liberian government [REDACTED] Rebel groups: [REDACTED] Guinea [REDACTED] Sierra Leone Supported by : The Second Liberian Civil War was a civil war in the West African nation of Liberia that lasted from 1999 to 2003. President Charles Taylor came to power in 1997 after victory in
205-580: A major threat to the Taylor government. Liberia was now engaged in a complex three-way conflict with Sierra Leone and the Guinea Republic. By the beginning of 2002, both of these countries were supporting LURD, while Taylor was supporting various opposition factions in both countries. By supporting — practically creating — the SL rebels, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Taylor also drew
246-789: A means of control. Several warlords felt that cocaine made soldiers more effective in battle. In November 1997, following the completion of the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia UNOMIL on 30 September, the United Nations established the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Liberia (UNOL), headed by a representative of the Secretary-General. That first United Nations post-conflict peace-building support office
287-542: A promise from him to attend peace talks in Ghana. A delegation of women organized nonviolence protests and continued to apply pressure on the warring factions during the peace process. They staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace, bringing about an agreement during the stalled peace talks. Their creative non-violent protest allowed them to use the power within women and mothers of Liberia; tactics included
328-431: A sex strike until their men chose to set aside weapons, and threatening to undress during a sit in outside the peace talks in Ghana. Working together, over 3,000 Christian and Muslim women mobilized their efforts, and as a result, the women were able to achieve peace in Liberia after a 14-year civil war and helped bring to power the country's first female president. The story is told in the 2008 documentary film Pray
369-557: A splinter group led by Prince Johnson . The INPFL captured and executed Doe in September 1990 and resisted attempts by the NPFL to take Monrovia, denying Taylor an outright victory and prolonging the war for years. A peace agreement was signed in 1996 between the major factions and resulted in the 1997 Liberian general election . Taylor won a landslide victory with 75% of the vote for the presidency, while his National Patriotic Party dominated
410-626: A time unless they receive a specific request from Liberia. Vice-President Moses Blah replaced Taylor. On 14 August, rebels lifted their siege of Monrovia and 200 United States Marines landed to support a West African peace force. Thousands of people danced and sang as American troops and ECOMIL , the Nigerian-led West African forces, took over the port and bridges which had split the capital into government and rebel-held zones. An estimated 1,000 people had been killed in Monrovia between 18 July and 14 August. Moses Blah handed over power to
451-481: A warrant was issued for his arrest. He was not immediately arrested because he was said to be absent from Monrovia and in Lofa County instead, but on 13 March he was arrested and released on bond shortly thereafter. In court on 25 April, the defense argued that Bryant constitutionally enjoyed immunity for actions taken as head of state, while the prosecution argued that he did not because his appointment resulted from
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#1732855738258492-561: The 2005 elections and took office in January 2006, succeeding Bryant. He died on 16 April 2014 at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia . In January 2007, Bryant was questioned by police regarding allegations of corruption during his time in office. On 27 February 2007, Bryant was charged with embezzlement . His government is alleged to have embezzled more than US$ 1 million. On 12 March
533-610: The First Liberian Civil War which led to two years of peace. The Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), an anti-Taylor rebel group backed by the government of Guinea , invaded northern Liberia in April 1999. LURD made gradual gains against Taylor in the north and began approaching the capital Monrovia by early 2002. The Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), a second anti-Taylor rebel group, invaded southern Liberia in early 2003 and quickly conquered most of
574-700: The President of Liberia . Taylor had initiated the war when he and his militia, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), invaded the country from the Ivory Coast to overthrow President Samuel Doe in December 1989. The NPFL rapidly conquered most of Liberia except for the capital Monrovia , which came under the control of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL),
615-576: The Rally of Democratic Forces of Guinea in the RFDG Insurgency and the Revolutionary United Front in the Sierra Leone Civil War . This brought him into conflict with the governments of Guinea and Sierra Leone who, in retaliation, began supporting the anti-Taylor dissidents that had fled to their countries. The second civil war began in April 1999, when Liberian dissidents under the banner of
656-737: The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone , and the second came from Nigeria itself. President Taylor resigned on 11 August 2003, ahead of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which formed the negotiated end to the war, and was flown into exile in Nigeria. An arrest warrant for Taylor for war crimes committed by his RUF rebel allies in Sierra Leone was later issued by Interpol but Nigeria refused to deport him for
697-565: The Accra Accords in August 2003 and occurred outside the constitutional framework. On 24 August 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the prosecution's argument, enabling Bryant's trial to continue. Bryant was arrested on 7 December 2007 after failing to appear in court earlier in the week. He had said that he was boycotting the court because of his belief that he enjoys immunity. As he
738-507: The Devil Back to Hell . Among the women leaders who helped end the civil war was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , who would become the first modern elected female head of state in Africa when she was elected in 2005 . Her election was inspired by the powerful commitment of women who had seen the war perpetuated by men in their country and were unwilling to put a man back into that powerful role. This
779-545: The Legislature of Liberia. His success was mainly due to his control over the media, fear that the war would restart if he lost, and a general unfamiliarity with democratic processes among the Liberian public. Taylor quickly established a totalitarian and corrupt regime, with many dissidents fleeing to neighboring countries. Taylor's ambition of establishing Liberia as a regional power led to him supporting rebel groups such as
820-644: The National Bar Association, Liberian business organizations, Women's organizations, Trade unions , Teachers unions, Liberians in the Diaspora , and Youth organizations. According to the 2003 peace agreement, the responsibilities of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly were to: The NTLA was led by a Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected by Assembly members. George Dweh , a founding member of LURD and Eddington Varmah ,
861-555: The National Transitional Government of Liberia on 14 October 2003. However, the transitional government exercised no real authority in the country, 80% of which was controlled by the rebel groups. Riots in Monrovia left approximately 16 people dead, with sources claiming that former combatants were behind the violence. Both LURD and Charles Taylor made extensive use of children press ganged into military service as soldiers or ammunition porters. The use of child soldiers
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#1732855738258902-584: The Organization of Displaced Liberians invaded Liberia from Guinea. Guinea became LURD's main source of military and financial support. By July 2000, the various dissident groups had coalesced as the LURD led by Sekou Conneh . The dissidents were thought to be mostly Mandinka and Krahn fighters of the former ULIMO-J and ULIMO-K. Also important in forming LURD was an alliance, brokered by ECOMOG-SL Nigerian chief General Maxwell Khobe , between Liberian dissidents and
943-738: The Sierra Leonean Kamajors hunter militia, including chiefs Samuel Hinga Norman and Eddie Massally. Against the dissidents Taylor deployed irregular ex- National Patriotic Front of Liberia fighters with his more privileged units, such as the Anti-Terrorist Unit , positioned to ensure the irregulars did fight. Simultaneous September 2000 counter-attacks on Guinea from Liberia and Sierra Leone by RUF – still loyal to Taylor and Guinean dissidents – achieved initial success. By January 2001, however, Taylor's forces were pushed back inside Sierra Leone and Liberia. The insurgents were posing
984-719: The West African coast. In July 2003 the United States (US) sent a small number of troops to bolster security around the US embassy in Monrovia, which had come under attack during Operation Shining Express . On 25 July 2003, the Southern Europe Task Force at Vicenza , Italy was designated the lead U.S. Army command for the operation. On 29 July 2003, LURD declared a ceasefire. ECOWAS sent two battalions of Nigerian peacekeepers to Liberia. The first Nigerian battalion detached from
1025-543: The convening of a conference in Accra by the then Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President John Kufuor of Ghana, on 4 June 2003. By July 2003 Monrovia appeared to be in danger of being occupied and devastated despite ongoing peace talks. The U.S. established Joint Task Force Liberia , built around a U.S. navy amphibious group with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard, positioned off
1066-456: The country until the 2005 general election . The Second Liberian Civil War resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 people and the internal displacement of thousands more. The conflict saw the widespread use of child soldiers by both Taylor and LURD. The United Nations Mission in Liberia was deployed in the country until it was officially withdrawn in 2018. The First Liberian Civil War ended in August 1997 when Charles Taylor took power as
1107-441: The country, with 5,500 projected to be in place by November 2003, and worked to disarm the various factions. However, instability in neighbouring countries, an incomplete disarmament process, and general discontent threatened Liberia's fragile peace. A group of Liberian women headed by Leymah Gbowee formed an organization called "Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace" and forced a meeting with President Charles Taylor, extracting
1148-484: The enmity of the British and Americans. British and U.S. pressure on Taylor increased with rising financial support for Guinea and U.S./U.K.-proposed sanctions, a weaker version of which were imposed by U.N. Security Council May 2001. By mid-February 2002 LURD troops were just 44 kilometres from Monrovia, at Klay Junction, and Taylor was forced to declare a state of emergency. The February 2002 ICG report says that this attack
1189-451: The holding of elections in October 2005 and the installation of a democratically elected government by January 2006. The NTLA replaced the bicameral Legislature , which was elected in 1997. It consisted of 76 appointed members representing the Taylor government, rebel groups, political parties , and civil society . The distribution of seats among these groups is as follows: Note: Civil Society and Special Interest Groups included
1230-523: The interim ECOWAS force. UNMIL was made up of over 15,000 personnel, including both military and civilian troops. The bulk of the personnel were armed military troops, but there were also civilian policemen, as well as political advisers and humanitarian aid workers. On 1 October, the first peacekeepers changed their berets and became a UN force, with many more troops earmarked. During three days of riots in Monrovia in October 2004, nearly 400 people were wounded and 15 killed. The UN slowly built up its forces in
1271-478: The south. Taylor, reduced to controlling only a third of Liberia and under pressure from the Siege of Monrovia , resigned in August 2003 and fled to Nigeria . The Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed by the warring parties a week later, marking the political end of the conflict and beginning Liberia's transition to democracy. The National Transitional Government led by interim President Gyude Bryant governed
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1312-530: The state oil refinery. Additional charges regarding the alleged theft of US$ 1.3 million from the state were dropped on 24 September 2010 as the government failed to provide any proof of wrongdoing. Born in Monrovia during the early years of the Tubman era , Bryant's mother was a descendant of settlers and his father was a member of the Grebo people . He matriculated at Cuttington University in 1972, and in 1974 he married
1353-595: Was a Liberian politician and businessman. He served as the Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia from 14 October 2003 to 16 January 2006. The installation of the transitional government was part of the peace agreement to end the country's second civil war , which had raged since the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebelled against President Charles Taylor in 1999. Bryant
1394-400: Was being taken to a prison in Monrovia, he said: "This is a very, very dark day for Liberia. This is the reward we get for restoring peace and democracy to our country." He was released from the central prison in Monrovia on 8 December after he signed a commitment to appear in court on 10 December. On 30 April 2009, Bryant, along with four others, was acquitted of embezzling US$ 1 million from
1435-459: Was despite the fact that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's role in triggering the war in the 1980s had hampered her presidential prospects in the 1990s. While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had recommended that she be banned from participating in politics for 30 years, she was re-elected for a second term in 2011. General: Gyude Bryant Charles Gyude Bryant (17 January 1949 – 16 April 2014)
1476-473: Was lifted in September 2002, after, the government claimed, the township of Bopolu had been retaken. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Ivoirian-backed Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), emerged in the south, and by the summer of 2003, Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country. Despite some setbacks, by mid-2003 LURD controlled the northern third of the country and
1517-431: Was made by pursuing ‘a strategy of infiltration of south-western Liberia through the thick bush of Southern Lofa, looping around government strongholds and disrupting supply lines... while LURD claims between 300 and 500 men were assigned to that mission, ... the number that actually attacked was likely closer to twenty.’ Any image of a large force gradually pushing toward Monrovia is mistaken; ‘hit and run’ raids, rather than
1558-506: Was previously a businessman and was chosen as chairman because he was seen as politically neutral and therefore acceptable to each of the warring factions, which included LURD, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), and loyalists of former President Taylor. He was a prominent member of the Episcopal Church of Liberia , and was critical of the governments of Samuel Doe (1980–90) and Taylor (1997–2003). Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won
1599-493: Was prolific by both sides, regardless of prohibitions of the practice in the Geneva Convention . Observers from Human Rights Watch described a deadly and chaotic siege of Monrovia, with many very young fighters shooting "shiny toys" they had not been trained to use. Drugs made up an integral part of Liberian wartime culture. Child soldiers and other combatants were routinely addicted to cocaine , khat , and other drugs as
1640-535: Was tasked primarily with assisting the government in consolidating peace following the July 1997 multiparty elections. On 11 September 2003, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended deployment of the peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), to maintain the peace agreement. The UN Security Council approved the mission on 19 September in Resolution 1509 . Nigeria sent in peacekeepers as part of
1681-504: Was threatening the capital. The capital Monrovia was besieged by LURD, and that group's shelling of the city resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Thousands of people were displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict. A new bout of fighting began in March 2003 after a relative lull and by early May, LURD and MODEL had gained control of nearly two-thirds of the country, and were threatening Monrovia. Regional and wider pressure led to