Country Profile
Liberia officially the Republic of Liberia is a Country in West Africa.
Liberia is one of the world's poorest countries with its nominal GDP per capita at US$226, the third-lowest in the world.
Liberia is one of only three countries, along with the USA and Burma that does not officially use the International System of Units(SI)
Liberia was a founding member of the UN in 1945
Liberia is divided into 15 Counties which are subdivided into Districts.The 15 counties are administered by superintendents appointed by the president
Capital Monrovia
Currency Liberian Dollar
Official Language English
Population 4 Million(2011 Estimate)
Religion 85% Christianity;12%Islam and 3% Others
Politics and Government
Liberia is a Presidential Representative Democratic Republic (modelled on the Govt of USA) where the President is the Head of State and Head of Govt. The president is elected by popular vote for a six-year term.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf(former World Bank employee and Liberian finance minister) is the 24th and Current President of Liberia(1st elected female president in Africa)in office from Jan 16,2006 after winning the 2005 General Election held on Oct 11,2005getting 59.4% of Votes and defeating George Weah who got only 40.6% Votes.She won the 2011 Presidential Election Held on Oct 11,2011 getting 90.7% of Votes and defeating George Weah who got only 9.3% votes and assumed the office of President of Liberia for a second term
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was awarded the 2011Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with -
Leymah Gbowee of Liberia and
Tawakel Karman of Yemen
"for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work."
Liberia has a Bicameral Legislature that consists of -
the Senate(30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve nine-year terms) and
the House of Representatives (64 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
Charles Taylor found guilty of abetting Sierra Leone war crimes
Charles Taylor(1st African President to be prosecuted at an International Court) the U.S.-educated guerrilla leader who fought his way to the Presidency of Liberia, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity — including murder, rape and slavery — for his role in assisting a bloody rebel movement in neighboring Sierra Leone.
After four years of hearings at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone(SCSL) in the Hague, the former warlord was convicted on 11 charges including murder, rape, sexual slavery and enforced amputations.
The three-judge panel unanimously found on Thursday April 26,2012 that he had been criminally responsible for "aiding and abetting" the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and other factions carrying out atrocities in Sierra Leone between 1996 and 2002.
Charles Taylor has 14 days from the receipt of the full judgment to file a written notice of appeal with the registrar against his convictions.Charles Taylor is expected to serve his sentence in a British jail once the appeal process has been completed.Charles Taylor sentencing has been scheduled for May 30,2012 after a hearing on May 16,2012.
Charles Taylor - Timeline
Charles Taylor(DOB Jan 28,1948)served as the President of Liberia during Aug 02,1997 -Aug 11,2003
On Aug11,2003 CharlesTaylor Resigned hand power to Vice President Blah until a transitional government was established on Oct 14,2003 and Charles Taylor flew to Nigeria, where the Nigerian government provided houses for him.
In November 2003, the US Congress passed a bill that included a reward offer of two million dollars for Taylor's capture.
On Dec 4,2003 Interpol issued a Red Notice regarding Charles Taylor, suggesting that countries had a duty to arrest him. Taylor was placed on Interpol's Most Wanted list, declaring him wanted for Crimes Against Humanity and breaches of the 1949 Geneva Convention.
But Nigeria stated it would not submit to Interpol's demands, agreeing only to deliver Taylor to Liberia in the event that the President of Liberia requested his return.
On March 17, 2006,Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , the newly elected President of Liberia, submitted an official request to Nigeria for Taylor's extradition.Nigeria agreed only to release Taylor and not to extradite him, as no Extradition Treaty existed between the two countries.Three days after Nigeria announced its intent to hand him over to Liberia, Taylor disappeared from the seaside villa where he had been living in exile.Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjowas scheduled to meet with President Bush less than 48 hours after Taylor was reported missing.Speculation ensued that Bush would refuse to meet with Obasanjo if Charles Taylor were not apprehended. Less than 12 hours prior to the scheduled meeting between the two heads of state, Taylor was reported apprehended and en route to Liberia.Upon his arrival at Roberts International Airport in Harbel,Liberia, CharlesTaylor was arrested and handcuffed by LNP officers, who then immediately transferred responsibility for the custody of Taylor to theUN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)where he was delivered to the SCSL.
On 16 June 2006, the UNSC agreed unanimously to allow Charles Taylor to be sent to The Hague for trial.
On June 20, 2006, Charles Taylor was extradited and flown to Rotterdam Airport in the Netherland and was taken into custody and held in the detention centre of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
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