How Liberia and Sierra Leone ended their cycles of violence
The lessons two African countries offer on ending intractable conflicts
The election on October 10th in Liberia may have seemed a sleepy affair. But it was far more remarkable than it appears. Just 20 years ago the west African country was emerging from two devastating bouts of civil war in which drug-addled commanders forced child soldiers to kill their parents, among other atrocities. The war killed perhaps 250,000 people—roughly a twelfth of the population.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Escaping the conflict trap”
From the October 21st 2023 edition
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