Liberia was settled by freed American slaves in 1821 and became
an independent republic in 1847. Americo-Liberians, descendants
of the freed slaves, dominated the country until 1980, when Sgt.
Samuel Doe led a violent coup that led to the killing of President
William Tolbert. By a fraudulent election, in 1985, Doe became
Liberia's first indigenous president. In 1989, Liberia was invaded
from Côte d' Ivoire by rebel forces of the National Patriotic
Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Charles Taylor, who proclaimed
himself president. Doe was assassinated in 1990 by another group
of rebels led by Prince Yormie Johnson, who also sought the presidency.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened
to negotiate a peace settlement among the two rebel groups and
the government. ECOWAS also sent a Nigerian-led West African
peacekeeping force to Monrovia and installed an interim government
led by Amos Sawyer. With military aid from Libya and Burkina
Faso, Taylor's forces began a siege of Monrovia in 1992 and engaged
in fighting with ECOWAS forces. A number of cease-fires were
established in 1993 and 1994, but clashes between factions persisted.
Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) (http://www.irinnews.org)
"IRIN, which is part of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, provides news updates on the current situation in Liberia."
The Liberian Studies Association (http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/doyler/lsapg.htm)
To subscribe to Liberian Studies Association send an e-mail to listserv@uga.cc.uga.edu.
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