Liberia
Liberia is a country with 4 million residents. 1.1 million Liberians are living in its capital city Monrovia. The country has more than 15 ethnic groups, which remained relatively ignored by colonization until 1820 when the American Colonization Society (ACS) - founded in 1817 - began sending freed American slaves back to Africa. These settlers became known as Americo-Liberians, and until the 1980s, they held most of the country's political power, despite accounting for only roughly 3% of the population. The country has undergone a series of wars, partly between the elites and the rest of the people, along with other conflicts along ethnic divides. These wars have killed around 200,000 people and displaced about 700,000. The education system, along with the level of development, has fallen. Agriculture remains an important source of revenue for Liberia; its main cash crop is rubber. Logging has also supported the country's GDP as there are an estimated 3.8 million hectares of productive forest in the country. Liberia also has many minerals, including iron ore, gold, and diamonds; much of the fighting, as mentioned earlier, has been around gaining control over these minerals. In 1980 a civil war began in Liberia with a military coup led by Master-Sergeant Samuel Doe; this ended the 150-year reign of Americo-Liberian political power. Doe, from the ethnic group Kahn, reigned with ruthless repression. Following a fabricated election in 1985, a failed coup by the Gio group, a full civil war erupted in 1989 when Charles Taylor and fellow Americo-Liberian rebel forces invaded. By 1990, neighboring West African countries sent a peacekeeping force which became involved in offensive operations. Doe was assassinated in November of 1990; many failed peace deals and successions of alliances and splits between warring factions ensued. In 1995 a peace deal and elections were won by Taylor, whose rule was oppressive. In 1999 another civil war broke out, and Taylor, after being pressured by the US, fled to Nigeria. The UN and 15,000 peacekeepers led a two-year provisional administration, and in 2005, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf won the presidential election; she was re-elected in 2011. In 2012 Taylor was convicted by the UN special court for crimes against humanity. Liberia also struggled with Ebola, the first cases reported in 2014; a reported 2,200 people died.
DATA VISUALIZATIONS
PROTESTS
Liberia-April-2014
Paynesville, Ministry of Youth and Sports
Beneficiaries of the Liberian Youth Employment Program (LYEP) of the Ministry of Youths and Sports staged a protest to demand payment of allowances. (Primary Source)
Liberia-January-2013
Suakoko, Cuttington University
Students went on 'rampage' after electricity and water services were reduced between 6pm and 10pm, rather than between 6pm and 12 am, without an official announcement. (Primary Source)
Liberia-May-2018
Suakoko, Cuttington University
Peaceful protests were set up on the campus to demand the resignation of the university president over allegations of mismanagement. (Primary Source)
Liberia-February-2015
, Monrovia
Catholic school teachers nationwide strike in protest of 5 months of back pay. (Primary Source)
Liberia-January-2014
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protesters barricaded the car of the Vice President in order to call attention to their protests against school authorities. (Primary Source)
Liberia-September-2016
Monrovia, Monrovia Consolidated School System
Teachers strike to demand the resignation of the head of the Monrovia Consolidated School System. (Primary Source)
Liberia-May-2016
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protest the inaction of legislature against a tuition increase. (Primary Source)
Liberia-July-2012
Monrovia, University of Liberia
A clash between opposing student leadership campaigns turned into a violent riot. (Primary Source)
Liberia-May-2016
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Six student stormed the official seat of national legislature. (Primary Source)
Liberia-October-2015
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protest the suspension of a student leader. (Primary Source)
Liberia-January-2018
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students demand the resignation of the University president over registration difficulties. (Primary Source)
Liberia-March-2018
Monrovia, A.M Dogliotti College of Medicine,University of Liberia
Medical students protest the non-payments of stipends for three months. (Primary Source)
Liberia-July-2018
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protest rising inflation rates and demand a price reduction. (Primary Source)
Liberia-August-2006
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protested to demand the replacement of the school administration. (Primary Source)
Liberia-May-2017
Monrovia, United Methodist University
Students marched to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to protest the influx of counterfeit goods into the country (Primary Source)
Liberia-March-2015
Monrovia, Monrovia
Catholic School students of the Archdiocesan of Monrovia, protested the non payment of teacher salaries for five months (Primary Source)
Liberia-November-2017
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protest the end of the registration period, which they deemed too early. The protests did not disrupt classes, but affected major programs, according to the university (Primary Source)
Liberia-July-2015
Monrovia, Capitol Hill
Students protest the amendments made to the educational system following the ebola outbreak- blocking president Sirleaf's convoy, and forcing her to walk to work (Primary Source)
Liberia-October-2012
Monrovia, Monrovia Consolidated School System
Teachers embark on 'Go Slow Action' to demand an increase in pay. Second source outlines that the strike ended two weeks later. (Primary Source)
Liberia-June-2007
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protest the quality of life at the university. They met with then President Sirleaf, who promised to intervene (Primary Source)
Liberia-October-2015
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protested in various locations in Monrovia including the campus, and the Capitol building to demand the resignation of the university provost (Primary Source)
Liberia-November-2013
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students demand the resignation of the Vice President for University affairs and provost, who they accused of being uninterested in the academic prosperity of students (Primary Source)
Liberia-November-2013
Monrovia, University of Liberia
Students protest the school's abrupt end of the registration period, and the announcement of mid term examinations immediately after (Primary Source)