Liberian Civil War-1st war-1989-1996-97, 2nd war-1999-2003
Photos: Debra L. Bell
The city of Monrovia is located in Montserrado County on Bushrod Island and Cape Mesurado at the Atlantic coast, at the estuary of the Mesurado River. A population approx. 1 million in the Greater Monrovia District.
Short history: Founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society as a new home for freed
slaves from the United States and the British West Indies. The city was named
for James Monroe, then the president of the United States.
Until recently the city was still controlled by descendants of the early
settlers who arrived between 1830 and 1870. Since it broke ties with the United
States after 1871, it was a cultural combination of pre–Civil War Southern American and West African influences. The city and the nation was destroyed during the Liberian Civil War - 1st civil war 1989-1996 and again 2nd civil war from 1999-2003.
(You can research information about the war yourselves. There's too much political info for me to share, however you can view my photos below as a visual documentation of the post war in this section from 2005-2006. I will be posting more as time allows.)
I was blessed to serve with Mercy Ships (MS) for 8 years (Dec 2005-Nov 2013) as the ship's photographer on two hospital ships-the m/v Anastasis & the m/v Africa Mercy, the world's largest charitable floating hospital. Mercy Ships is a global humanitarian organization who uses hospital ships to deliver free, world class health care services, capacity building and sustainable development to those without access in the developing nations in Africa.
https://www.mercyships.ca, https:/www.mercyships.org
During my volunteer service with MS, I was in West Africa-Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Western Africa in the Congo & South Africa. Apart from my role on the ship, I was fortunate to explore the country, meet the locals and capture their cultural.
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Inaugurated in January 2006, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, also known as "Iron Lady",
became the world's first elected black female president and Africa's first elected
female head of state.
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| The second Liberian disarmament program – the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) Programme, each combatant would surrender his or her weapon, register for the program and receive an ID. Each would receive a reinsertion benefit: As of February 2005, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) had disarmed and demobilized approx. 103,019 combatants. |
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Hand painted poster in Monrovia market.
A report by the UN Mission in Liberia and the Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR) said rape has become the second-most reported serious
crime in the country. Between 61 per cent and 77 per cent of all woman and girls
in the country were raped during the conflict, according to previous research by the
World Health Organisation.
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One of many hundreds of internally displaced people camps (IDP's).
Thousands went homeless for many years. Many never returned back to their home villages.
A lady makes her way to her temporary home in a IDP camp for displaced civilians.
In the IDP camps, one must find a way to survive, markets & small business
begin in the midst of their suffering & rebuilding. |
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| Capital city Monrovia, people squat in a destroyed business building. |
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Capital city Monrovia on the coast, a business building destroyed in the devastation
of the war. Squatters & small shanty shack street stalls rebuild at the base of the building. |
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| Bullet riddled pillar (L) and burning trash accumulates on the streets & in the markets. |
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| Billboard of the President elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the midst of the burning rubble. |
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| Street garbage mounts up on-top of a burned and stripped car in Monrovia. |
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Abandon cars on the Monrovian streets. Eventually stripped clean of parts
to be recycled to rebuild other vehicles. |
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Prior to the inauguration of Presidential Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a national day of street cleaning was ordered throughout the city. An abandoned car supported by sticks was lifted to clean underneath.
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Abandon vehicles stripped of the precious medal and parts for recycling to build
and create other items or means of transport.
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Monrovia along the river mouth
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| Monrovia street scenes, rainy season. |
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| The all in one shop-petrol fill up (petrol in a jar), local calls, jewelry shop |
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| Filling up the van with petrol. Curiosity brings a team to fill. |
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| Little by Little petrol station (small, small) as the locals say. No business today! |
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| Even the youngest boys work, he awaits his next customer at filling station. |
Communication booth-cell phone service & barber shop
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| The capital, Monrovia street scenes. |
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Bullet riddled building yet people rebuild with whatever materials they find. Many
destroyed homes are left abandoned never to be rebuilt as the owner may not have
survived the war and others can not take ownership unless they become squatters.
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| Floods during monsoon season |
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| Local church destroyed in civil war. Graveyard next to it with garbage mounting up. |
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| The UN had a presence in the nation for a number of years. |
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| Local Police stop a vehicle |
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Monrovia streets. Electrical wires criss-cross the buildings as homes and businesses try to
gain access to electricity. |
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| Broken satellite dish |
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The bullet riddled Gabriel Johnson Tucker Bridge crosses the Mesurado River and connects Main Land Monrovia to Via Town/ Bushrod Island. Also known as the Johnson Street Bridge which is the only access to the historical Providence Island. During the 2nd civil war, the rebels blockaded the bridge making it impossible to escape out of Monrovia.
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The bridge is very busy, locals cross it daily to travel inland, or fetch water
and purchase supplies outside of downtown Monrovia.
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| Painting and Restoration of the bidge began in 2006 |
