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Second Liberian Civil War
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The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and by June-July of 2003, Charles Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country. The capital Monrovia was besieged by LURD, and that group's shelling of the city resulted in the deaths of many civilians.
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The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and by June-July of 2003, Charles Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country. 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.
Overview of the war
A new civil war began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighboring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), emerged in northern Liberia. Opponents of Charles Taylor moved their center of operations to Lofa province, in the north near the Guinea border. By the spring of 2001 the insurgents were posing 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 Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), while Taylor was supporting various opposition factions in both countries. By supporting - practically creating - the SL rebels, the Revolutionary United Front, Taylor also drew the enmity of the British and Americans.
In early 2003, a second rebel group, the 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 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.
Yet another group, the Ivoirian-backed MODEL, held a block of territory in the south. By the beginning of August, after a two-month siege, LURD had overrun parts of Monrovia.
The United States of America sent a small number of troops to bolster security around their embassy in Monrovia, which had come under attack. The U.S. also deployed the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the area while Nigeria sent in peacekeepers as part of the interim ECOMIL Economic Community of West African States force.
President Taylor resigned on August 11, 2003, ahead of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which was the negotiated end to the war, and was flown into exile in Nigeria. An arrest warrant for Taylor for war crimes committed by his rebel allies in Sierra Leone was later issued by Interpol but Nigeria has since refused to deport him unless they receive a specific request from Liberia. Vice-President Moses Blah replaced Taylor prior to the installation of a transitional government on October 14, 2003. However, the transitional government exercised no real authority in the country, 80% of which was controlled by the rebel groups.
United Nations peacekeeping
On September 11, 2003, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended the deployment of the peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Mission in Liberia, to maintain the peace agreement. The UN Security Council approved the mission on September 19. 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 October 1, United Nations peacekeepers replaced the ECOWAS force, although some of the personnel were the same. During three days of riots in Monrovia in October 2004, nearly 400 people were wounded and 15 killed. The UN currently has a number of personnel in the country — 5500 are projected to be in place by November — and is working to disarm the various factions. However, instability in neighbouring countries, an incomplete disarmament process, and general discontent threatens Liberia's fragile peace.
See also
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