Liberia: The 2011 elections and building peace in the fragile state

The briefing examines Liberia's fragile state as it prepares for the 2011 elections. While President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has overseen significant infrastructural and economic growth, the document highlights critical failures in national reconciliation following a controversial Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, a weak and under-equipped security sector, and a severely degraded justice system. It argues that the 2011 elections are a critical test for the country's stability and the timing of UN troop withdrawal.

• The 2011 elections are viewed as a critical test for Liberia's stability and will likely determine the timeline for the withdrawal of the approximately 8,000 UN troops currently in the country.
• Under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia has seen economic growth exceeding 7% over three years, significant external debt reduction from $4.9 billion in 2006 to $1.7 billion by 2010, and improved school enrolment by 40%.
• The 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report is described as a missed opportunity for national healing; it recommended the prosecution of 124 people and lustration for several prominent citizens, including President Sirleaf, but its recommendations have largely been ignored.
• Liberia's security sector remains fragile, with the Liberia National Police (LNP) being logistically impaired and understaffed at 3,500 officers for a population of over 3 million. The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) was rebuilt from scratch via US-funded contracts with DynCorp and PAE, but faces issues with command, control, and high attrition.
• The justice sector suffers from extreme capacity constraints, with 90% of judicial officials having barely finished high school and only 3% attending university, leading to a system where the vast majority of prisoners in Monrovia are held on indefinite remand without conviction.
• High levels of human insecurity persist, characterized by frequent land disputes—with 1,307 complaints in 2008 and only 38% resolved—and occasional ethnic and religious violence, such as clashes between Muslims and Christians in Lofa County.

APA

Gberie, L. (2010). Liberia: The 2011 elections and building peace in the fragile state. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2010_5OctLiberia.pdf

Chicago

Gberie, Lansana. Liberia: The 2011 elections and building peace in the fragile state. Institute for Security Studies, 2010. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2010_5OctLiberia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gberie |first1=Lansana |title=Liberia: The 2011 elections and building peace in the fragile state |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=5 October 2010 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2010_5OctLiberia.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gberie2010liberia, author = {Gberie, Lansana}, title = {{Liberia: The 2011 elections and building peace in the fragile state}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2010}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2010_5OctLiberia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }