Liberia

Children served in the Liberian militias [Hillary Norris]

Fourteen years of war ended in 2003 - devastated by years of conflict, young Liberians are now starting to learn what life is like in peacetime

Former President Charles Taylor left Liberia in 2003 in the midst of a crisis. Since then a transitional government has taken power, with representatives of rebel groups and the former Government.

United Nations peacekeepers are deployed across the country and coordinating a national Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme.

In November 2005, presidential elections brought to power Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa's first elected woman head of state.

Key challenges for Liberia now include:.

• Post-conflict rehabilitation: Liberia’s seven-year civil war ended in 1996 – a complex conflict that displaced a million people and left 200,000 dead. Fighting continued by two rebel groups – LURD and MODEL, supported by Guinea and Ivory Coast respectively.

• Poverty: 80 per cent of Liberia’s people live below the poverty line, and the country is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

CAFOD supports two partner organisations in Liberia, both of which were present throughout the conflicts of the 1990s, and are now focused on post-conflict rehabilitation, particularly for young people, across the region.

section highlights

Peace-building in Liberia

A Liberian teenager who witnessed years of violent conflict, has been learning how to work towards a more peaceful future.

Learning to live together

Don Bosco Homes is a leading child protection NGO in Liberia and work with orphans, ex-combatants and children who live and work on the streets

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