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The mess that is Liberia's civil war seems to be on the mend but the country is still no place to go for a beach holiday. There is sporadic looting as well as bursts of shooting in pockets of the country, including Monrovia. Though elections provide hope for stability, the future for the West African country is uncertain, and its security situation remains volatile.

Perched on the chin of West Africa's coast just above the equator, Liberia has a tropical climate with a pronounced rainy season from May to November. There is little seasonal variation with temperatures usually only averaging around 30°C (86°F) between November and May, and only a few degrees lower in the middle of the year.

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After being populated for a mere few thousand years, Liberia struck abolitionists in the USA as a spiffing place to re-settle freed American slaves, the first group of whom were set up on Providence Island, Monrovia in 1822. Alas the settlers had to contend with tropical diseases and a rather hostile indigenous population, who greatly resented being lorded over by the prophesising Christian settlers. A few surviving settlers declared an independent republic in 1847 with Joseph Roberts as president, but the US-style constitution largely excluded the indigenous population, who had a form of forced labour thrust upon them - anywhere else it would have been called slavery. Decidedly dodgy labour practices continued into the 1960s.

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Between the 1940s and 1970s Liberia had it good; foreign investment was high, but at the same time social inequalities and hostility grew between Americo-Liberians and indigenous peoples. In the early 1960s it was clear that things could soon go badly pear-shaped and indigenous peoples (97% of the population) were finally given political and economic rights. However, political opposition continued to be suppressed, while a dozen or so Americo-Liberian families continued to control government for their own ends. The corruption was obvious and during a series of demonstrations and food riots in 1979 a number of protesters were shot. Then in April 1980 Liberia's two decades of terrible conflict began with a coup led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahan tribe.

The now-General Samuel Doe struggled to maintain his grip on power by holding a sham 'election' in late 1985 (largely to appease his major creditor, the USA, who backed him all the way to his downfall) and persecuting rival tribespeople - until early 1990 when the forces of Prince Johnson and Charles Taylor overran most of the country, which now lay in ruins. A West African peace-keeping force (known as Ecomog) tried to keep the warring factions apart, but to no avail. Refusing to surrender, Doe and many of his supporters were finally wiped out by Johnson's forces. There then began a power struggle between the various warlords and Ecomog, which was periodically suspended for the signing of a peace deal. The conflicts only ended after a particularly savage bout of carnage. In the subsequent elections of 1996, Charles Taylor and his National Patriotic Party (NPP) polled 75% of the vote. However, as the warring factions were disarmed, Taylor's loyalist army went about bullying and butchering his opponents. The 'peace' didn't last long. In the late 1990s Taylor's government was found to be supporting the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone and the UN slapped a travel ban, arms embargo and diamond-trading ban on Taylor and his cronies.

The international pressure intensified in 2003 with a ban on timber exports and UN charges of war crimes followed after Taylor was linked to al-Qaeda diamond trading. At the same time the catchily named LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, which Taylor accuses the US and Guinea of supporting) launched a series of attacks from Guinea, triggering a period of border skirmishes and raids.

By the middle of 2003, LURD and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (Model) appeared to control most of the country. Battles raged in and around Monrovia. Foreigners were evacuated, US warships anchored offshore and hasty negotiations between the government, rebels and West African mediators took place. Eventually Taylor agreed to go into exile (in Nigeria) and Nigerian troops flew in to secure Monrovia. They received a hero's welcome, and a transitional government was soon sworn in

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Weasua Air Transport offers reliable connections to Monrovia from Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Accra (Ghana) and Freetown (Sierra Leone). Flights between Monrovia and Conakry (Guinea) are provided by Ghana Airways, which also has flights to Accra and Freetown. Air Ivoire offers flights to Abidjan.

If travelling overland, the main crossing with Sierra Leone is at Bo (Waterside). There's also a border post to the north at Kongo and one northwest of Kolahun, but the current governmental travel advice is not to go anywhere near the Liberia/Sierra Leone border area. For Guinea, there are border posts just north of Voinjama, Ganta and Yekepa. There's frequent transport on the other side to towns in Guinea. Border crossings with Côte d'Ivoire are just beyond Sanniquellie and east of Harper, towards Tabou.

Cargo boats occasionally make the two-day run between Conakry (Guinea) and Monrovia (enquire at Freeport, Monrovia) and fishing boats run sporadically between Harper and San Pédro (Côte d'Ivoire).

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Weasua Air Transport offers air charters, but minibuses and bush taxis are the backbone of Liberia's transport system. In good times there are daily departures from Monrovia to the Sierra Leonean border and major towns across the country. Smaller destinations generally have a couple of departures per week. Bush taxies are safer and less crowded than minibuses. Road conditions are generally bad. Some routes are impassable in the rainy season, although some are sealed (such as the ones from Monrovia to the Sierra Leonean border, Ganta, Tubmanburg and Buchanan).

For the adventurous, fishing boats or cargo ships can shift you along the coast, but other than a couple of semiregular services it's a matter of hanging out at Freeport in Monrovia and hoping for the best.

(All information is courtesy of Lonely Planet)

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andrew-murphy

Would you recommend a trip to Liberia. I have a distant friend who lives there. I have travelled to Ghana, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. Fairly used to Africa. Although would not travel to anywhere which is considered hostile.
Have you yourself been to Liberia recently?
Any help or advice much appreciated.