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• Federation of American Scientists

Summary

This report, which is updated as events warrant, covers recent events in Liberia, a small, poor West African country. It held elections in October 2005, with a presidential runoff in November, a key step in a peace-building process following its second civil war in a decade. That war began in 1999, escalated in 2000, and ended in 2003. It pitted the forces of Charles Taylor, elected president in 1997 after Liberia's first civil war (1989-1997), against two armed anti-Taylor rebel groups. It also destabilized neighboring states, which accepted Liberian refugees and, in some cases, hosted anti-Taylor forces and became targets of the Taylor regime. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, an economist, won the presidential runoff vote, with 59.4% of votes cast and took office in mid-January 2006, becoming the first female president of an African country. Her runoff rival, George Weah, a former star soccer player, conceded Sirleaf's win after initially contesting it. Most observers viewed the vote as orderly, free and fair. It fulfilled a key goal of an August 2003 peace accord that had ended the second civil war and led to an ongoing, U.S.-aided post-war transition process, which is bolstered by the multifaceted peacekeeping and development-focused U.N. Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Liberia's security situation is stable but subject to periodic volatility. Progress in governance under the interim government that preceded that of President Sirleaf was mixed; widespread corruption within it was widely reported. Liberia's economy and state structures remain devastated by war. Humanitarian conditions are improving. Liberia receives extensive U.S. post-war reconstruction and security sector reform assistance. In March 2006, former President Taylor was arrested in Nigeria and transferred to the U.S.-supported Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) to face war crimes charges. He was later transferred to the Hague, the Netherlands, where the SCSL will try him. In addition to providing substantial support for Liberia's post-war peace and reconstruction processes, the 109th and preceding Congresses maintained continuing interest in the status of Charles Taylor. The 109th Congress passed laws and resolutions urging that SCSL indictees, like Taylor, face trial at the court. The 109th Congress and its predecessors provided $35 million in assistance to the SCSL through FY2006. Other legislation proposed in the 109th Congress centered on immigration, debt, and tax haven issues, and the commendation of Liberia for successfully holding elections. The 110th Congress has continued to provide support to the SCSL and for Liberia's efforts to consolidate its post-war governance and economic rebuilding processes. FY2007 funds for such purposes were contained in temporary continuing resolutions passed by the 109th Congress that provided FY2007 foreign operations appropriations through February 15, 2007. The 110th Congress passed a final continuing resolution, P.L. 110-5, which appropriated foreign operations funding for the balance of FY2007, and provided supplementary funding for Liberia under P.L. 110-28. Other Liberia-related legislation introduced in the 110th Congress has included H.R. 1941 (Kennedy); H.R. 1591 (Obey); H.R. 2206 (Obey); H.R. 2764 (Lowey); H.R. 3123 (Kennedy); S. 396 (Dorgan); S. 554 (Dorgan); S. 656 (Reed); S. 965 (Byrd); S. 1508 (Dorgan); and S. 1903 (Reed).

Related Legislation:
• H.R.1941
• H.R.1591
• H.R.2206
• H.R.2764
• H.R.3123
• S.396
• S.554
• S.656
• S.965
• S.1508
• S.1903

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