Liberia: Roots and fruits of the emergency

This paper discusses the origins and the political legacy of the 1990-97 complex political emergency (CPE) in Liberia. The paper distinguishes between the 1989-90 crisis of the state and the 1990-97 CPE. It argues that the 1989-90 crisis can be explained in terms of a final breakdown in the system o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Third world quarterly 1999-02, Vol.20 (1), p.163-173
Main Author: Outram, Quentin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carter, Jimmy
Civil war
Conditionality
CONFLICT
Conflict management
Conflict resolution
Crisis
Democracy
Emergency
Governance
Government
Government crises
Human rights
Indigenous peoples
International cooperation
International organizations
Intervention
Liberia
Management
Political conflict
Political crises
Political regimes
Political science
Politics
REGIMES
Risk
STATES
United Nations
Violence
War
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Summary:This paper discusses the origins and the political legacy of the 1990-97 complex political emergency (CPE) in Liberia. The paper distinguishes between the 1989-90 crisis of the state and the 1990-97 CPE. It argues that the 1989-90 crisis can be explained in terms of a final breakdown in the system of conflict management. This breakdown is explained partly by inherent weaknesses of the system and partly by historically specific stresses and contingencies. That the 1989-90 crisis led to a CPE is explained as an outcome of the intervention of regional powers. The paper then turns to the political legacy of the CPE and examines the emerging conflict management practices of the new regime. It suggests that these demonstrate significant similarities to those operated before the CPE and risk a recurrence of crisis. Finally, the absence of 'governance conditionality' in the aid programme of the United Nations is noted and criticised.
ISSN:0143-6597
1360-2241
DOI:10.1080/01436599913974