Chapter 5 Tightening the screws in West African arms embargoes

Abstract

On December 24, 1989, an armed insurrection began in Liberia. Charles Taylor, a former government official, led a rebel force, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), into the north-eastern Nimba County. A breakaway faction, the Independent National Patriotic Front (INPFL), led by Prince Yormie Johnson gained control of central Monrovia – the capital – and killed the President Samuel Doe. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened in August 1990, sending monitoring troops (the ECOWAS Military Observer Group, ECOMOG), and convened a national conference which elected an Interim Government of National Unity. In October 1990, ECOMOG established a neutral zone in Monrovia where Dr. Amos Sawyer was installed as Interim President in November. Various different factions and opposition groups were formed and clashes between the rebel groups and the Liberian army continued.

Citation

Wenzel, M. and Faltas, S. (2009), "Chapter 5 Tightening the screws in West African arms embargoes", Brzoska, M. and Lopez, G.A. (Ed.) Putting Teeth in the Tiger: Improving the Effectiveness of Arms Embargoes (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 101-136. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1572-8323(2009)0000010009