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Liberia: "War is Over"


May 16, 2008
By emily.holland
Monrovia Liberia 2003 by Peter Biro the IRC Liberia, 2003 Photo: Peter Biro/The IRC
IRC communications officer Emily Holland is blogging her second trip to Liberia. This is Part 2. Read Part 1 here. "This is where the war began," was my introduction to Nimba County. It's here, an International Rescue Committee staff member reminded me, that ex-Liberian dictator Charles Taylor staged his Christmas Eve incursion in 1989. Last night, I slept in a house that Charles Taylor once inhabited. Can you believe it? It's startling until you learn that 70% of the population of Nimba County took part in Liberia's civil war.Many who took part were children—child soldiers conscripted from their families, given weapons and drugs, and turned into fighters. Thankfully, the war is past and most child soldiers have been demobilized. That long process began with the United Nations. In exchange for turning in their weapons, former child soldiers were given money: a sum for their guns and another when they returned to their counties. The system was imperfect: some former combatants were registered in different counties than those where they actually lived. And often, sadly, the former child soldiers' commanders would continue to manipulate them. Commanders would pretend to be the children's parents, then take their money and run. The IRC was one of several organizations that assisted the U.N. in the demobilization process. We created safe spaces for child soldiers—young men and women—once they had been demobilized. We counseled them, worked to get them caught up on the education they had missed, and also established skills training programs for them: teaching them carpentry, auto mechanics, and other trades. Our rationale was that by giving these former fighters a way to make a living honestly, we would help them realize the benefits of peace for Liberia…and prevent a return to violence. The IRC continues to reach out to, train, and mentor ex-combatants. Today, however, people are encouraged not to differentiate between former child soldiers and other Liberians made vulnerable by the war. Considering the mystique that's developed around child soldiers, it's sometimes difficult. In closing, I saw a sign on the road today. "War is Over," it read in colorful, block script. It depicted men and women—happy at last—and a child soldier relinquishing his gun. What an arresting and inspiring sight that was. What a long way Liberia has come.
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Submitted by DJ Tazer (not verified) on May 17, 2008 - 10:46am.

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