Sunday, February 15, 2009

Liberia (Samuel Doe, 1980-1989)

Samuel Doe and The People's redemption council (1980-1989) :


After a bloody overthrow of the Americo-liberian regime by indegenous Liberians in 1980, a "Redemption Council" took control of Liberia. Internal unrest , opposition to the new military regime and the governmental reprssion steadily grew, until 1989 Liberia sank into outright tribal and civil war.


Coup d'etat:


Samuel Kanyon Doe (1951 - 1990), a member of the small ethnic group and a master sergeant in the Liberian army, trained by US Army Special Forces, led a bloody coup d'etat against President Tolbert on April 12, 1980 in which Tolbert and 26 of his supporters were murdered. Ten days later, thiteen members of Tolbert's cabinet were publicly executed. Thus 133 years of Americo-Liberian political domination ende and Doe's regime started. Doe established a military rule and formed a Peoples Redemption Council.



Doe established a warm relation with US govt. Ronald Reaganin 1981an got $95 million per year. He cut off all connection with soviet Russia and closed the link with Libyan. He overcame seven attempted coupbetween 1981 to 1985. He began to systematically eliminate PRC members who challenged his authority and replaced them by the members of his ethnic group.



1985 Presiential Election



A draft constitution suitable for multi-party republic had been issued and in 1984 it was approved by a referendum. But the election was not held fairly and Doe won with 51% votes. Doe was attacked opponent ethnic group from north and Charles Taylor assembled rebellion from two ethnic groups in 1989 and resulted in two civil wars one after another.




Samuel
Doe a
visit to
US in1982




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