Liberia (1983: Doomsday)

Liberia is a former country on the west coast of. Following the aftermath of, Liberia became embroiled in a decades long civil war that has continued to be fought in one form or another even today.

Pre-Doomsday
The history of Liberia is unique among African nations, notably because of its relationship with the United States. It is one of the few countries in Africa, and the only country in West Africa, without roots in the European Scramble for Africa. Founded as a colony by the American Colonization Society in 1821-22, it was created as a place for slaves freed in the United States to emigrate to in Africa, on the premise they would have greater freedom and equality there.

Slaves freed from slave ships also were sent there instead of being repatriated to their countries of origin. These freed slaves formed an elite group in Liberian society, and, in 1847, they founded the Republic of Liberia, establishing a government modeled on that of the United States, naming Monrovia, their capital city, after James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States and a prominent supporter of the colonization.

A bloody military-led coup in 1980, led by Samuel Kanyon Doe, overthrew then-president William R. Tolbert, which marked the beginning of a period of instability for the country. Though the coup ended the 133 years of Americo-Liberian political domination over Liberia, his rule quickly became extremely corrupt and repressive.

Doe established strong ties with the United States, making Liberia an important Cold War ally. In return Liberia received foreign aid and new sources of investment from America, and.

Doomsday
On September 26, 1983, Doe was in New York City attending a session of the United Nations. Whether he survived the destruction of the city is unknown as he has been missing since that day. Nevertheless, the political and economic ramifications of caused the Liberian economy to collapse. With the United States destroyed, Liberia had become completely cut off from foreign aid. The streets of Monrovia became a scene a vicious street fighting as nine different factions attempted to take control of the capital.

Thomas Quiwonkpa, Doe’s former second-in-command, was successful in seizing power and quickly executed his former opponents. Quiwonkpa was unable, however to prevent ethnic fighting from breaking out between the Gio (or Dan) and Mano tribes in the north with Doe's Krahn tribe in 1984. Violence among indigenous populations increased rapidly. The situation was further exasperated as refugees from the Ivory Coast began entering Liberia after their government collapsed in 1985.

More to Come

Geography
Liberia has a hot equatorial climate with most rainfall arriving in summer with harsh harmattan winds in the dry season. Liberia's populated Pepper Coast is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the sparsely populated inland is forested, later opening to a plateau of drier grasslands.