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Adult Authority, Social Conflict, and Youth Survival Strategies in Post Civil War Liberia
‘Listen, Politics is not for Children:’ Adult Authority, Social Conflict, and Youth Survival Strategies in Post Civil War Liberia. DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Henryatta Louise Ballah Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2012 Dissertation Committee: Drs. Ousman Kobo, Advisor Antoinette Errante Ahmad Sikianga i Copyright by Henryatta Louise Ballah 2012 ii Abstract This dissertation explores the historical causes of the Liberian civil war (1989- 2003), with a keen attention to the history of Liberian youth, since the beginning of the Republic in 1847. I carefully analyzed youth engagements in social and political change throughout the country’s history, including the ways by which the civil war impacted the youth and inspired them to create new social and economic spaces for themselves. As will be demonstrated in various chapters, despite their marginalization by the state, the youth have played a crucial role in the quest for democratization in the country, especially since the 1960s. I place my analysis of the youth in deep societal structures related to Liberia’s colonial past and neo-colonial status, as well as the impact of external factors, such as the financial and military support the regime of Samuel Doe received from the United States during the cold war and the influence of other African nations. I emphasize that the socio-economic and political policies implemented by the Americo- Liberians (freed slaves from the U.S.) who settled in the country beginning in 1822, helped lay the foundation for the civil war. -
Liberia Short Mission Brief
Liberia Short Mission Brief I. Activity Summary Overview Nearly 25 years of international peace missions in Liberia offer lessons of how multilateral cooperation, focused effort and resolute action can end conflict and keep peace in a troubled neighborhood. Indeed, since 2003 UNMIL has kept the peace. Yet, over this same period, and even going back to the earlier interventions, misaligned interests among the dominant actors and missed opportunities have plagued the missions. In particular, peace missions have done precious little to address, let alone solve, the central drivers of Liberia’s conflict, strengthen local institutions or assist the process of rebuilding trust between the government and the Liberian people. This suggests there are limitations of peace missions as vehicles for state building and development, at least as the missions are currently structured. As the UN moves to shutter UNMIL this becomes particularly visible, along with the broader challenges of closing a mission amid pervasive instability. Background Liberia has suffered from successive, regionally interconnected wars that, at various times, directly included neighboring Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, while indirectly involving many other states such as Burkina Faso and Libya, in addition to a plethora of near-constantly morphing non-state armed groups. The conflict killed at least tens of thousands[i]. One in four Liberians were displaced.[ii] The economy contracted by 90%.[iii] Life expectancy bottomed out at less than 50 years[iv]. Illiteracy and unemployment skyrocketed. Even today, after 12 years of UNMIL-enforced peace, 84% of Liberians continue to live on less than $1.25/day[v]. -
Irregular Warfare and Liberia's First Civil
JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL AND AREA STUDIES 57 Volume 11, Number 1, 2004, pp.57-77 Irregular Warfare and Liberia’s First Civil War George Klay Kieh, Jr. The article examines the causes of the irregular war in Liberia from 1989-1997, the forces and dynamics that shaped the war, the impact of the war on state collapse and the prospects for conflict resolution and peace-building. The findings show that the war was caused by a confluence of factors. Several warlordist militias were the belligerents in the war. The war and its associated violence precipitated the actual collapse of the Liberian State. Finally, the success of the peace-building project would be dependent upon addressing the causes that occasioned the irregular war. Keywords: Regular warfare, irregular warfare, state collapse, conflict resolution, peace-building, Liberia 1. INTRODUCTION Irregular warfare and its consequent precipitous impact on state collapse has been an enduring feature of human affairs. Even long before the inception of the Westphalian state system in the mid-seventeenth century, various state formations in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe emerged, and then collapsed. The precipitants ranged from internal imperatives triggered by issues such as the distribution of societal resources and territory, to the external imperialist impulse. In the case of Africa, during the pre-colonial era, several polities emerged, and then collapsed as a consequence of myriad internal and external factors. During the first two decades of the post-colonial era, irregular warfare in African states was minimized by the regulatory dynamics of the “Cold War.” However, since the end of the “Cold War,” the incidence of irregular warfare, especially its capacity to precipitate state collapse, has accelerated. -
The Role of Civil Society in National Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Liberia
International Peace Academy The Role of Civil Society in National Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Liberia by Augustine Toure APRIL 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The International Peace Academy wishes to acknowledge the support provided by the Government of the Netherlands which made the research and publication of this study possible. ABOUT IPA’S CIVIL SOCIETY PROGRAM This report forms part of IPA’s Civil Society Project which, between 1998 and 1999, involved case studies on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau. IPA held a seminar, in partnership with the Organization of African Unity (OAU), in Cape Town in 1996 on “Civil Society and Conflict Management in Africa” consisting largely of civil society actors from all parts of Africa. An IPA seminar organized in partnership with the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) in Senegal in December 1999 on “War, Peace and Reconciliation in Africa” prominently featured civil society actors from all of Africa’s sub-regions. In the current phase of its work, IPA Africa Program’s Peacebuilding in Africa project is centered around the UN community and involves individuals from civil society, policy, academic and media circles in New York. The project explores ways of strengthening the capacity of African actors with a particular focus on civil society, to contribute to peacemaking and peacebuilding in countries dealing with or emerging from conflicts. In implementing this project, IPA organizes a series of policy fora and Civil Society Dialogues. In 2001, IPA initiated the Ruth Forbes Young fellowship to bring one civil society representative from Africa to spend a year in New York. -
TRC of Liberia Final Report Volum Ii
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA FINAL REPORT VOLUME II: CONSOLIDATED FINAL REPORT This volume constitutes the final and complete report of the TRC of Liberia containing findings, determinations and recommendations to the government and people of Liberia Volume II: Consolidated Final Report Table of Contents List of Abbreviations <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<............. i Acknowledgements <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<... iii Final Statement from the Commission <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<............... v Quotations <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<. 1 1.0 Executive Summary <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 2 1.1 Mandate of the TRC <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 2 1.2 Background of the Founding of Liberia <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<... 3 1.3 History of the Conflict <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<................ 4 1.4 Findings and Determinations <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< 6 1.5 Recommendations <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<... 12 1.5.1 To the People of Liberia <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<. 12 1.5.2 To the Government of Liberia <<<<<<<<<<. <<<<<<. 12 1.5.3 To the International Community <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<. 13 2.0 Introduction <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<. 14 2.1 The Beginning <<................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Profile of Commissioners of the TRC of Liberia <<<<<<<<<<<<.. 14 2.3 Profile of International Technical Advisory Committee <<<<<<<<<. 18 2.4 Secretariat and Specialized Staff <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<. 20 2.5 Commissioners, Specialists, Senior Staff, and Administration <<<<<<.. 21 2.5.1 Commissioners <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<. 22 2.5.2 International Technical Advisory -
Jane W V. Moses Thomas Complaint
Case 2:18-cv-00569-PBT Document 1 Filed 02/12/18 Page 1 of 38 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA JANE W, in her individual capacity, and in her capacity as the personal representative of the estates of her relatives, James W, Julie W, and Jen W; Civil Action No. ________________ JOHN X, in his individual capacity, and in his capacity as the personal representative JURY TRIAL REQUESTED of the estates of his relatives, Jane X, Julie X, James X, and Joseph X; JOHN Y, in his individual capacity; AND JOHN Z, in his individual capacity, Plaintiffs, v. MOSES W. THOMAS, Defendant. COMPLAINT Plaintiffs Jane W, John X, John Y, and John Z in their personal capacities and on behalf of their decedent relatives (collectively “Plaintiffs”), complain and allege as follows. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 1. This case arises from the brutal massacre of unarmed civilians seeking shelter in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (the “Lutheran Church” or the “Church”) in Monrovia, Liberia (the “Lutheran Church Massacre” or the “Massacre”). The Church was a designated Red Cross humanitarian aid center sheltering civilians displaced from the growing violence in Liberia’s countryside and in the capital city of Monrovia. The Lutheran Church Massacre was one of the largest attacks on civilians during Liberia’s two back-to-back civil wars, the first of 106612680v.1 Case 2:18-cv-00569-PBT Document 1 Filed 02/12/18 Page 2 of 38 which was a seven-year armed conflict beginning in 1989 that took the lives of over 200,000 individuals and displaced half the nation’s population. -
Taylor Trial Transcript
Case No. SCSL-2003-01-T THE PROSECUTOR OF THE SPECIAL COURT V. CHARLES GHANKAY TAYLOR THURSDAY, 17 JANUARY 2008 2.30 P.M. TRIAL TRIAL CHAMBER II Before the Judges: Justice Julia Sebutinde, Presiding Justice Teresa Doherty Justice Richard Lussick Justice Al Hadji Malick Sow, Alternate For Chambers: Mr Simon Meisenberg Ms Carolyn Buff For the Registry: Ms Rosette Muzigo-Morrison Ms Rachel Irura Mr Vincent Tishekwa For the Prosecution: Ms Brenda J Hollis Mr Mohamed A Bangura Ms Shyamala Alagendra Ms Maja Dimitrova For the accused Charles Ghankay Mr Courtenay Griffiths QC Taylor: Mr Terry Munyard Mr Andrew Cayley Mr Morris Anyah For the Office of the Principal Mr Silas Chekera Defender: CHARLES TAYLOR Page 1473 17 JANUARY 2008 OPEN SESSION 1 Thursday 17 January 2008 2 [Open session] 3 [The accused present] 4 [Upon commencing at 2.30 p.m.] 14:28:47 5 PRESIDING JUDGE: Good afternoon. Is there any change in 6 the appearances from yesterday? 7 MR BANGURA: Good afternoon, your Honour. There is a 8 change in the Prosecution composition today. Myself, Mohamed A 9 Bangura, Brenda Hollis, Shyamala Alagendra, and I spell, Shyamala 14:29:15 10 is S-H-Y-A-M-A-L-A, Alagendra is A-L-A-G-E-N-D-R-A, and Maja 11 Dimitrova for the Prosecution. 12 PRESIDING JUDGE: Thank you, Mr Bangura. I note the 13 Defence composition has not changed. It has changed, hasn't it. 14 Please let's have the appearances from the Defence. 14:29:43 15 MR MUNYARD: Good afternoon, Madam President. -
UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works
UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works Title HAS LIBERIA TURNED A CORNER? Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4394423f Journal JOURNAL OF DEMOCRACY, 29(3) ISSN 1045-5736 Authors Spatz, Benjamin J Thaler, Kai M Publication Date 2018-07-01 DOI 10.1353/jod.2018.0052 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 4.0 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Has Liberia Turned a Corner? Benjamin J. Spatz, Kai M. Thaler Journal of Democracy, Volume 29, Number 3, July 2018, pp. 156-170 (Article) Published by Johns Hopkins University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2018.0052 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/698925 No institutional affiliation (16 Jul 2018 18:21 GMT) HAS LIBERIA TURNED A CORNER? Benjamin J. Spatz and Kai M. Thaler Benjamin J. Spatz is a doctoral candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He has worked on Liberia since 2005, including serving on the UN Panel of Experts on Liberia during 2012–15. Kai M. Thaler is assistant professor of global studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The January 2018 inauguration of Liberia’s newly elected president George Weah marked the small West African country’s first transfer of power between democratically elected leaders since its founding 171 years earlier. After an electoral process marred by charges of irregularities and court-ordered delays, Weah’s clear runoff victory was followed rapidly by the concession of his opponent, Unity Party (UP) candidate and incum- bent vice-president Joseph Boakai. -
Taylor Trial Transcript
Case No. SCSL-2003-01-T THE PROSECUTOR OF THE SPECIAL COURT V. CHARLES GHANKAY TAYLOR THURSDAY, 3 JUNE 2010 9.33 A.M. TRIAL TRIAL CHAMBER II Before the Judges: Justice Julia Sebutinde, Presiding Justice Richard Lussick Justice Teresa Doherty Justice El Hadji Malick Sow, Alternate For Chambers: Ms Doreen Kiggundu Ms Sidney Thompson For the Registry: Ms Rachel Irura Ms Zainab Fofanah For the Prosecution: Mr Nicholas Koumjian Mr Mohamed A Bangura Ms Kathryn Howarth Ms Maja Dimitrova For the accused Charles Ghankay Mr Terry Munyard Taylor: Ms Logan Hambrick Ms Fatiah Balfas Mr Isaac Ip CHARLES TAYLOR Page 41997 3 JUNE 2010 OPEN SESSION 1 Thursday, 3 June 2010 2 [Open session] 3 [The accused present] 4 [Upon commencing at 9.33 a.m.] 09:31:40 5 PRESIDING JUDGE: Good morning. We will start with the 6 appearances, please. 7 MR KOUMJIAN: Good morning, Madam President. Good morning, 8 your Honours and counsel opposite. For the Prosecution this 9 morning, Mohamed A Bangura, Kathryn Howarth, Maja Dimitrova, 09:34:35 10 Imogen Parmar and Nicholas Koumjian. 11 MR MUNYARD: Good morning, Madam President, your Honours, 12 counsel opposite. For the Defence this morning myself 13 Terry Munyard, Fatiah Balfas and Isaac Ip. Both are legal 14 assistants. 09:34:57 15 PRESIDING JUDGE: Thank you. Good morning, Mr Witness. 16 THE WITNESS: Good morning, your Honour. 17 PRESIDING JUDGE: Before you continue with your testimony, 18 I would like to remind you of your oath to tell the truth. That 19 oath is still binding on you. -
Overview Print Page Close Window
World Directory of Minorities Africa MRG Directory –> Liberia –> Liberia Overview Print Page Close Window Liberia Overview Environment Peoples History Governance Current state of minorities and indigenous peoples Environment The Republic of Liberia is located on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa and is bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire. Liberia has a 560-kilometre coastline and mountains in the north and east. The country contains vast timber reserves and substantial deposits of iron ore, gold and diamonds. Peoples Main language groups: English 20% (official), Bassa, Kru (Klao), Kpelle, Gola, Loma, Mann Main religions: traditional religions (40%), Christianity, often mixed with traditional beliefs (40%), Islam (20%) Main minority groups: Kpelle 487,400 (15.2%), Bassa 347,600 (10.9%), Gio (Dan) 150-200,000 (4.7- 6.3%), Kru (Klao) 184,000 (5.8%), Grebo 222,000 (6.9%), Mano 185,000 (5.8%), Americo- Liberians/Congo People 160,000 (5%), Loma 141,800 (4.4%), Krahn 126,400 (4.0%), Kissi 115,000 (3.6%), Gbandi 100,000 (3.1%), Gola 99,300 (3.1%), Vai 89,500 (2.8%), Mandingo 45,400 (1.4%), Mende 19,700 (0.6%), Kuwaa 12,800 (0.4%), and Dei 8,100 (0.3%) [Note: Percentages for religions are taken from the 2007 US CIRF report. Total population est of 3.2 million is taken from the 2007 CIA World Factbook, as is the estimate for English speakers and total for Americo-Liberians/Congo People. For most ethnic groups, figures are taken from Ethnologue numbers stemming from various years: Kpelle (1991), Bassa (1991), Gio (1993), Kru (1991), Grebo (1991 for two sub-groups, 1999 for two others, and 2000 for a fifth), Mano (1995), Loma (1991), Krahn (1991) Gola (1991), Mandingo (1991), Kissi (1995), Vai (1991), Gbandi (2001), Mende (1991), Kuwaa (1991), Dei (1991).] The forest belt in West Africa that covers large swathes of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria has always been populated by a large number of ethnic groups. -
Politics and Popular Culture: the Renaissance in Liberian Music, 1970-89
POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE: THE RENAISSANCE IN LIBERIAN MUSIC, 1970-89 By TIMOTHY D. NEVIN A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FUFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2010 1 © 2010 Timothy Nevin 2 To all the Liberian musicians who died during the war-- (Tecumsey Roberts, Robert Toe, Morris Dorley and many others) Rest in Peace 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my parents and my uncle Frank for encouraging me to pursue graduate studies. My father’s dedication to intellectual pursuits and his life-long love of teaching have been constant inspirations to me. I would like to thank my Liberian wife, Debra Doeway for her patience in attempting to answer my thousand and one questions about Liberian social life and the time period “before the war.” I would like to thank Dr. Luise White, my dissertation advisor, for her guidance and intellectual rigor as well as Dr. Sue O’Brien for reading my manuscript and offering helpful suggestions. I would like to thank others who also read portions of my rough draft including Marissa Moorman. I would like to thank University of Florida’s Africana librarians Dan Reboussin and Peter Malanchuk for their kind assistance and instruction during my first semester of graduate school. I would like to acknowledge the many university libraries and public archives that welcomed me during my cross-country research adventure during the summer of 2007. These include, but are not limited to; Verlon Stone and the Liberian Collections Project at Indiana University, John Collins and the University of Ghana at East Legon, Northwestern University, Emory University, Brown University, New York University, the National Archives of Liberia, Dr. -
Conflict, the Rise of Nations, and the Decay of States: The
Ethnopolitical Violence in the Liberian Civil War by Earl Conteh-Morgan and Shireen Kadivar Earl Conteh-Morgan is Associate Professor in the Department of Government and International Affairs, University of South Florida. Shireen E. Kadivar is a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. INTRODUCTION Ethnic division is a source of both conflict and cooperation in all societies. Conflicts erupt and escalate when sparked by political power struggles and are underpinned by complicated political alliances in which ethnic identity and affili- ations are key variables. The post-Cold War international system is experiencing an increase in the scope and intensity of conflicts underlined by violent and internecine ethnic rivalries. The former Yugoslavia, Somalia, South Africa, and Liberia are the more recent and notable cases. To a greater or lesser extent, many of the interethnic conflict situations that have either subsided or are ongoing have antecedents involving colonial rule or a foreign group.1 While this historical legacy perhaps is a major contributory factor to many of the varied internal political, economic, and social issues, the roots of ongoing conflicts are often actions and policies established during colonial rule, even though the colonial power may no longer be directly involved in the conflict. Examples are power left in the hands of favored minorities; the divide and rule tactics of colonial administrators; and artificial borders that permanently separated members of the same ethnic group. Moreover, the "we- feeling" or communauté de conscience associated with each ethnic group, in times of crisis become further polarized and come into direct confrontation with that of other ethnic groups.