Last updated: February 4, 2026
Country Profile
Founded by freed American slaves in 1822, Liberia is a country with a turbulent history. It was declared a republic in 1847 by American-African settlers, who dominated the country politically until 1980. After two decades of violence and instability, it is now considered to be among the safest nations in Africa.
Politics: political stability and democratization amid governance challenges
From 1847 till 1980 Liberia was ruled by Americo-Liberian settlers, who dominated the country’s indigenous population. Americo-Liberian rule ended with a coup instigated by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe, who led a military regime until 1989. Increasing repression and persecution of other ethnic groups, as well as socioeconomic decline led to widespread unrest. Between 1989 and 2003 two civil wars devastated Liberia. After a brief transitional period, peaceful democratic elections were held in 2005 which were won by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female president in Africa.
Since 2005, Liberia has made significant progress in terms of democratisation and rule of law. The current President, Joseph Boakai, narrowly won the 2023 elections, which transpired peacefully, marking the second democratic transfer of power since the war. Despite this progress, Liberia continues to face significant challenges, such as pervasive corruption, weak governance and a lack of public goods and services.
Security: promising developments despite security governance challenges
Since the end of the Second Liberian Civil War, the security situation has dramatically improved. In 2018, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia (UNMIL) concluded, citing 15 years of stability and democratic reforms. Although the country’s security situation has ameliorated, high levels of organized crime combined with a severely under-resourced local law enforcement is a pressing issue. Because of the weak security architecture, vigilante groups operate as authority in some parts of the country. Even though this is concerning from a national security perspective, these groups are not necessarily perceived negatively in modern Liberia and serve an essential role in some rural communities.
In the context of the militant insurgency in the Sahel, Liberia is not experiencing the same level of threat as it neighbours, since Guinea and Ivory Coast serve as buffer states. As such, the threat of terrorism is much lower. Nonetheless, as the Sahelian threat continues to spill over to coastal states, Liberia must remain vigilant.
One of the most common forms of conflict in Liberia are land disputes. During the country’s two civil wars, many Liberians fled the country and returnees found it difficult to assert their property rights. Consequently, after the war ended, conflicts erupted over land that are often ethnically motivated. These disputes are aggravated by climate change, which is leading to environmental degradation, reducing the presence of arable land. Weak institutions are also limiting the capacity for adequately protecting Liberians property rights.
