Second+Liberian+Civil+War

The Second Liberian Civil War was from 1999-2003. In April 1999 when LURD (the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, ) a rebel group backed by the government of neighboring Guinea. They attacked from Guinea and Guinea became LURD's main source of military and financial support.

In the early 2003 the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), another rebel group, emerged in from the south, and by July of 2003, Charles Taylor's government controlled only a third of the country. By mid-2003, LURD controlled the northern third the country and was threatening the capital (Monrovia). Then the Monrovia was besieged by LURD, it was then deaths to many civilians as a result of groups shelling the city. In march 2003, LURD and MODEL had gained control of almost two thirds of Liberia, by July Monrovia was in danger of being occupied.

President Taylor resigned on August 11, 2003, ahead of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which formed the negotiated end to the war.

On August 14, rebels lifted their siege of Monrovia and 200 American troops landed to support a West African peace force. Thousands of people danced and sang as American marines and ECOMIL, the Nigerian-led West African troops, took over the port and bridges which had split the capital into government and rebel-held zones.

-T.S.