The Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement or Accra Peace Agreement was the final peace agreement in the
Second Liberian Civil War
The Second Liberian Civil War was a conflict in the West African nation of Liberia lasted from 1999 to 2003. It was preceded by the First Liberian Civil War, which ended in 1996.
President Charles Taylor came to power in 1997 after victory in t ...
. It was signed on the August 18, 2003, in
Accra
Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
,
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
. It was created following the signing of a ceasefire agreement on June 17, 2003, and "intensive back-door negotiations" beginning on June 4 in Akosombo,
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
.
The Agreement called for the establishment of a post-war two-year transitional government (
National Transitional Government of Liberia
Liberia is a country in West Africa founded by free people of color from the United States. The emigration of African Americans, both free and recently emancipated, was funded and organized by the American Colonization Society (ACS). The mo ...
) which would consist of 76 members: 12 each from the three warring parties; 18 from political parties; seven from civil society and special interest groups; and one from each of Liberia's 15 counties. The warring parties, the opposition parties and civil society groups agreed to share ministerial portfolios and employment opportunities in the cabinet and parliament and elections were to be held no later than 2005.
The peace agreement covered a broad range of intended reforms; committing to a human rights inquiry through a truth commission, and vetting of the security forces on human rights grounds. Former Nigerian Head of State General
Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami Abubakar (; born 13 June 1942) is a Nigerian statesman and retired Nigerian Army general who served as the ''de facto'' President of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999. He was also Chief of Defence Staff between 1997 and 1998. He succeede ...
facilitated the negotiations that led to the agreement. However,
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.shelling of Monrovia and the violence in their country. These women were organized by the '
Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace
Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace is a peace movement started in 2003 by women in Monrovia, Liberia, Africa, that
worked to end the Second Liberian Civil War. Organized by Crystal Roh Gawding and social workers Leymah Gbowee and Comfort Free ...
'.
Timeline before signing of Agreement
* Aug. 4, 2003 - 198 Nigerian commandos arrived in Monrovia aboard United Nations helicopters.
* Aug. 11, 2003- Charles Taylor resigned and flew to Nigeria.
* Aug. 15, 2003- 200 American Marines under Joint Task Force Liberia landed in Monrovia joining a marine platoon that had been protecting the U.S. Embassy over the previous month.
* Aug. 18, 2003- Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement is signed in Accra.
Aftermath
Some fighting still continued following the signing of the Peace Agreement. In October. 2003 the
UN Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and ...
authorized a Chapter VII mandate (allowing for intervention) and established a UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), which included the deployment of 15,000 peacekeepers.
On October 14, 2003, an interim government under
Gyude Bryant
Charles Gyude Bryant (17 January 1949 – 16 April 2014) was a Liberian politician and businessman. He served as the Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia from 14 October 2003 to 16 January 2006. The installation of the transitional ...
was sworn into power and ruled until the 2005 national elections.
The Liberian general election of 2005 took place on October 11, 2005 and a runoff election was held on November 8, 2005 which resulted in
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Sirleaf was born in Mon ...