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First Liberian Civil War | |||||||
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Part of the Liberian Civil Wars and spillover of the Sierra Leone Civil War | |||||||
![]() INPFL militiamen in 1990 after taking control of much of Monrovia | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Anti-Doe Armed Forces elements![]() ![]() ![]() Supported by: ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
ULIMO: | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
450,000 | 350,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Total killed: ~200,000 including civilians[1] |
The First Liberian Civil War was the first of two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe's regime of totalitarianism and widespread corruption led to calls for withdrawal of the support of the United States, by the late 1980s.[2] The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast to overthrow Doe in December 1989 and gained control over most of the country within a year. Doe was captured and executed by the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), a splinter faction of the NPFL led by Prince Johnson, in September 1990. The NPFL and INPFL fought each other for control of the capital city, Monrovia and against the Armed Forces of Liberia and pro-Doe United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy. Peace negotiations and foreign involvement led to a ceasefire in 1995 but fighting continued until a peace agreement between the main factions occurred in August 1996. Taylor was elected President of Liberia following the 1997 Liberian general election and entered office in August of the same year. [3]
The First Liberian Civil War killed around 200,000 people and eventually led to the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations. The peace lasted for two years until the Second Liberian Civil War broke out when anti-Taylor forces invaded Liberia from Guinea in April 1999.