Civil war and collective intervention in Liberia

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Abstract
In December 1989 civil war in Liberia broke out having profound implications for that country and its neighbours. The horrific conflict devastated Liberia's natural, human and material resources; large numbers of Liberian refugees poured into other West African states, and human rights abuses by all parties to the conflict were widely reported. Despite this grotesque picture, the wider international community, especially the United Nations and United States, failed to intervene to stop the conflict. It then fell on Liberia's sub‐regional partners to halt her total disintegration. After an initial failure to accomplish this through diplomatic and political means, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided in August 1990 to intervene with a military Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).