Liberia is a country that has been ravaged by civil war, ethnic cleansing, and military abuse. Reports of what has taken place in the country are staggering. Child soldiers were common in many factions because all of the parents were killed in the fighting and they often had no where else to go. Commanders led units of boys who were high on drugs into the fighting who committed terrible atrocities. Footage of interviews that took place during the fighting and even after are too graphic to include here. Since the fighting went on for 14 years, there is a whole generation of children who grew up knowing only war and how to fight. They have no other skills or education, and that is one of the greatest challenges now moving forward. For people that have only known safety and power from behind a gun, getting them to see another way will take a miracle from God. Thankfully, our God is great and mighty and His power is limitless and His compassion is overflowing. Let us be on our knees for this country that has experienced evil in a very personal way. Let us pray for the struggling church in Liberia; that God would raise up leaders for His people that they may make straight the paths and prepare the way for the work of rebuilding their nation, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.
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Liberia
Basic Info: Liberia is located in Western Arica, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone. It is slightly larger than Tennessee, and it has mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in the northeast. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars. The inland grassy plateau supports limited agriculture, so the main natural resources are iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, and hydropower. The main ethnic groups are Kpelle 20.3%, Bassa 13.4%, Grebo 10%, Gio 8%, Mano 7.9%, Kru 6%, Lorma 5.1%, Kissi 4.8%, Gola 4.4%, other 20.1% (2008 Census). English is the official language, but it is only spoken by about 20% of the population. There are about 20 ethnic group languages, but few of them can be written or used in correspondence. Of the 3,989,703 (July 2013 est.) population, about 48% are urban. The average life expectancy is 57.81 years and about 60.8% are literate. Civil unrest continues to decline with the help of the 18,000 UN peacekeepers since January 2007, but there are still Liberian refugees remaining in Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. Liberia, in turn, shelters refugees fleeing turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire, about 61,153. It is difficult to determine how many internally displaced persons there are from the civil war, but many live in slums in Monrovia. Despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to Ivorian cocoa plantations. Liberia is also a transshipment point for Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine for the European and US markets. Corruption, criminal activity, arms-dealing, and diamond trade provide significant potential for money laundering, but the lack of well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center.
Government: The area known today as Liberia began as a settlement of freed slaves from the US in 1822. By 1847, the Americo-Liberians were able to establish a republic, but they also recreated the slave system that they had left behind in America. William Tubman, president from 1944-71, did much to promote foreign investment and to bridge the economic, social, and political gaps between the descendants of the original settlers and the inhabitants of the interior. In 1980, a military coup led by Samuel Doe ushered in a decade of authoritarian rule. In December 1989, Charles Taylor launched a rebellion against Doe's regime that led to a prolonged civil war in which Doe was killed. A period of relative peace in 1997 allowed for elections that brought Taylor to power, but major fighting resumed in 2000. An August 2003 peace agreement ended the war and prompted the resignation of former president Charles Taylor, who faces war crimes charges in The Hague related to his involvement in Sierra Leone's civil war. After two years of rule by a transitional government, democratic elections in late 2005 brought President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to power. She subsequently won reelection in 2011 in a second round vote that was boycotted by the opposition and remains challenged to build Liberia's economy and reconcile a nation still recovering from 14 years of fighting. The United Nations Security Council in September 2012 passed Resolution 2066 which calls for a reduction of UN troops in Liberia by half by 2015, bringing the troop total down to fewer than 4000, and challenging Liberia's security sector to fill the gaps. The country has a mixed legal system of common law (based on Anglo-American law) and customary law.
Economy: Liberia is a low income country heavily reliant on foreign assistance for revenue. Around 80% (2000 est.) of the population is below the poverty line. Civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia's economy, especially the infrastructure in and around the capital, Monrovia. Many businesses fled the country, taking capital and expertise with them, but with the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically-elected government in 2006, several have returned. Liberia has the distinction of having the highest ratio of direct foreign investment to GDP in the world. Richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture, Liberia had been a producer and exporter of basic products, primarily raw timber and rubber and is reviving those sectors. Local manufacturing, mainly foreign owned, had been small in scope. President Johnson Sirleaf, a Harvard-trained banker and administrator, has taken steps to reduce corruption, build support from international donors, and encourage private investment. Embargos on timber and diamond exports have been lifted, opening new sources of revenue for the government and Liberia shipped its first major timber exports to Europe in 2010. The country reached its Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative completion point in 2010 and nearly $5 billion of international debt was permanently eliminated. This new status will enable Liberia to establish a sovereign credit rating and issue bonds. Liberia's Paris Club creditors agreed to cancel Liberia's debt as well. The IMF has completed the sixth review of Liberia's extended credit facility, bringing total disbursements to over $379 million. The African Development Bank approved a grant of $48 million in 2011 to support economic governance and competitiveness. Rebuilding infrastructure and raising incomes will depend on generous financial and technical assistance from donor countries and foreign investment in key sectors, such as infrastructure and power generation. The country has achieved high growth during 2010-12 due to favorable world prices for its commodities. The limited phone services available are found almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia. Fixed-line service is stagnant and extremely limited. Telephone coverage has extended to a number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular network operators. Mobile-cellular subscription is growing and teledensity reached 50 per 100 persons in 2011. There are 3 private TV stations, but satellite TV service is available. There is 1 state-owned radio station, and about 15 independent radio stations broadcasting in Monrovia, with another 25 local stations operating in other areas. Most sections of the railways were inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt (2008).
Religion: Christian 41%, Evangelicals 14%, Ethnoreligionist 42%, (Muslim 12.2%)
While the country has a deep Christian history and many churches exist throughout the country, tribal tradition and the many civil wars have done a lot to demoralize and decimate the church. Since the civil war, many church buildings need to be repaired because few were untouched by looting and vandalism. Many institutions that were closed, such as schools, Bible colleges, and hospitals, need to be reopened. The church is often characterized by scriptural ignorance and materialism. As chaos seized the nation, established churches dissolved. Witchcraft is prevalent throughout the culture. Reports of human sacrifice and cannibalism took place during the civil wars. A number of syncretistic African independent churches have increased in recent years. The majority of congregations and pastors are open to sensitive teaching and instruction. CenterPoint International Foundation, Development Associates International and Christian Education Foundation of Liberia are a few of the agencies at work in this capacity. Leadership development is a great need because trained spiritual leaders are few. Many leaders had to flee or were killed during the wars and most Bible training was brought to a halt. Some refugees who studied theology in the West or elsewhere in Africa are returning with wider vision. Bible schools and seminaries are opening and rebuilding – the Baptist Seminary, Africa Bible College University, the ACFI Christian College, Liberia International Christian College (ULIC), and a Lutheran training center among them. Trauma counseling needs to be an integral part of training for Christian leaders and pastors. Pray for the raising up of a new generation of leaders who preach the whole gospel without compromise, competitiveness or jealousies. The physical needs in Liberia are many – poverty, illiteracy and under-education, HIV/AIDS, public health and sanitation, agricultural reclamation, and vocational training.
Between War and Peace-Liberia (2004)
Female Peace Keepers-Liberia (2008)
A Conversation with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Sept 2012)
