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Liberia Background Note: Liberia (U.S. Department of State) Country profile: Liberia (BBC News) Liberia (Wikipedia) Liberia Map (from National Geographic) In pictures: Charles Taylor's rise and fall (BBC News) Official Government Web Sites Lofa County, Liberia Lofa County (Wikipedia) Photos of Voinjama in Lofa County (Webshots/Travel) "Special Report on displacement in Lofa County" (1999 report from IRIN) "War in Lofa County does not justify killing, torture and abduction" (2001 report from Amnesty International) Books History of Liberia (2008) by J.T. MacPherson The Mask of Anarchy Updated Edition: The Destruction of Liberia and the Religious Dimension of an African Civil War (2006) by Stephen Ellis Films World History: Liberia: America's Stepchild Summary (from pbs.org) This documentary traces the history of Liberia from hopeful beginnings in 1821 to poverty and despair. Founded in West Africa by free American blacks, Liberia's indigenous peoples and colonizers endured decades of tension that erupted into tribal war. Using interviews, archival materials, and footage shot on location, Liberian film-maker Nancee Oku Bright offers a searing look at a shattered land in Liberia: America's Stepchild. Liberia: An Uncivil War Summary (from amazon.com) In the summer of 2003, Liberia, America's oldest African ally, is in total chaos. Stunning in its access and images, Liberia: An Uncivil War offers a compelling behind-the-scenes account of the internecine military conflict that destroyed the nation. The film splits its time between the regime of the corrupt President Charles Taylor and his supporters in the capital city of Monrovia and the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) as the rebels advance on the capital after taking control of much of the country with their army of predominantly teenage soldiers, some of whom engage in ritualistic cannibalism because they believe it will protect them against their enemies. There is no protection for the tens of thousands of innocent civilians caught in the escalating conflict--just pleas and prayers for an intervention from the United States--an intervention that would not come. Liberia: A Fragile Peace Summary (from School Media Associates) Liberia: A Fragile Peace is a perfect follow-up to Liberia: An Uncivil War, picking up the Liberian saga in October 2003, with the departure of the despotic Charles Taylor, the arrival of interim President Gyude Bryant and the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force. More than a historical record, however, this film is an ideal case study in how difficult it is to rebuild a society once it has lapsed into anarchy, a condition afflicting more and more nations around the world. The success or failure of the Liberian experience could have long-lasting impact on peace-keeping missions in the future.
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