Liberia has good assets on several minerals, including iron ore, diamonds, gold, bauxite, copper and nickel. There are also heavy-duty spatulas used in the manufacture of paint, and kyanite, which is used in the manufacture of refractory objects.
Iron mining was previously an important industry and the export of iron ore was significant. For many years, business was down due to the war but has now started to resume (see Financial overview). A number of foreign companies, some with stringent ownership conditions, have shown interest and also been granted mining licenses. However, many of the companies put most of the work on ice and withdrew experts and capital in connection with the Ebola epidemic 2014–2015, which also coincided with falling world market prices for a number of raw materials, such as iron ore.
COUNTRYAAH: Major exports by Liberia with a full list of the top products exported by the country. Includes trade value in U.S. dollars and the percentage for each product category.
When the Civil War began in 1989, gold and diamonds became the only minerals extracted to a greater extent. Diamonds were also smuggled into the country from Sierra Leone. In May 2001, the UN Security Council banned Liberia from exporting diamonds due to the suspicion that the mining was illegal and that the proceeds were used to finance the war. In 2007, the ban was lifted after the new government began to cooperate with the Kimberley Process, the control system that will guarantee the legal origin of the stones. After that, exports resumed. However, it has proved difficult to completely stop the illegal mining and export.
Abbreviationfinder: A popular acronym site in the world covering abbreviation for each country. For example, LR stands for Liberia. Visit itypeusa for more information about Liberia.
Wood and charcoal are still the most common source of energy for households and small businesses, while oil and electricity account for a minor part. About a third of electricity comes from hydropower. All oil must be imported, but there is hope of finding oil off the coast of Liberia and exploration is ongoing.
At the end of the war in 2003, the electricity grid and the power plants were so poorly accessed that no electricity could be produced at all. Most of the capital Monrovia has now regained its electricity supply thanks to foreign aid, but the capacity does not yet meet the entire need. With assistance from the European Investment Bank (EIB), 2014 began the reconstruction of the large Mount Coffee power plant, which was destroyed during the war. The project was delayed by the Ebola outbreak but was expected to be implemented at the end of 2016. In addition, Liberia 2018 is intended to be connected to the West African energy pool Wapp, and thus be able to get electricity from neighboring countries.
FACTS – ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Carbon dioxide emissions in total
935 thousand tons (2014)
Carbon dioxide emissions per inhabitant
0.2 ton (2014)
The share of energy from renewable sources
83.8 percent (2015)
2017
December
Weah wins the presidential election
December 26
The second round of the presidential election between George Weah and Joseph Boakai is being held in calm form. The turnout is lower than in the first round, 56 percent. According to observers, the election itself is better organized than in October. The election is won by Weah, who gets 61.5 percent of the vote. He has particularly strong support among young voters. He was congratulated by Boakai who confessed to being defeated.
Weah’s victory also means that Jewel Howard-Taylor , who was previously married to Charles Taylor, will become Liberia’s vice president.
Weah takes over as President on January 22, 2018.
The Freedom Party supports Weah for the next round of elections
December 14
George Weah’s position is strengthened for the second round of the presidential election, when the Freedom Party decided to support his candidacy. All parties have now accepted the ruling in the Supreme Court that Brumskine and Boakai lacked sufficient evidence that the cheating in the first round was so gross that the choice had to be made.
HD provides the clear sign for the second round of the presidential election
December 7
The Supreme Court gives the go-ahead to the second round of presidential elections. The court finds that there is not enough evidence that the election needs to be redone. The Election Commission later announces that the second round of elections between George Weak and Joespeh Boakai will be held on December 26.
November
The election is appealed to the Supreme Court
November 28
The Freedom Party and the Unity Party are appealing to the Supreme Court to formally appeal the result of the October elections and demand that the election be redone. The Election Commission must therefore provide the court with the necessary documents until December 4, after which the Supreme Court has a week to make its decision.
Election Commission: No irregularities in the presidential election
20th of November
The Election Commission (NEC) formally rejects the allegations of election fraud made by the Freedom Party and the Unity Party. Muana Ville, who is responsible for the NEC issue, says the two parties have not been able to prove that the Election Commission has committed any irregularities. The two parties can appeal the decision, but it is unclear if that will happen, or whether the matter will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.
The outside world calls on Liberia to resolve the crisis as soon as possible
November 14
Various foreign players, including the AU, the EU and Ecowas, are pushing for the electoral commission and political parties to resolve the ongoing crisis as soon as possible so that Liberia can elect a new president. In its statement, the AU, Ecowas and the UN operation in the country emphasized the importance of respecting the collective will of the Liberians and not letting individual ambitions stand in the way.
According to media reports, the Election Commission is investigating the complaints and is not expected to make a decision this week.
Johnson Sirleaf expresses concern for Liberia’s democracy
November 8
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says the Supreme Court’s decision to postpone the second round of the presidential election indefinitely poses a threat to democracy in Liberia. The Election Commission, which after the October election said it was properly implemented, must now investigate allegations of cheating before the decisive round of elections can be held. At the same time, more and more parties have supported the Freedom Party candidate Brumsine’s allegations that irregularities have occurred.
Four of the presidential candidates in October Boakai, Brumskine, Alexander Cummings and Benoni Urey meet for deliberations. They discuss, among other things, forming an alliance to strengthen Boakai for the second round of elections. Unity Party President Robert Kpadeh says that all four agree that Weah cannot manage the country. At the same time, the four politicians urge their supporters to keep calm.
The second round of presidential elections is postponed indefinitely
November 6
The Supreme Court postpones the second round of the presidential election indefinitely. It says that no election will be held until the NEC Election Commission deals with the complaint filed by the Freedom Party. According to the constitution, the NEC has up to one month to deal with the case after an appeal has been made. This means that the NEC must make its decision by 22 November.
The Supreme Court criticizes the Election Commission for continuing the electoral preparations ahead of November 7 without having done anything to the Freedom Party’s appeal. To hold the election without doing so would run counter to the law, the court argues.
Ebola money disappeared into corruption
November 3
The Red Cross apologizes for the corresponding $ 6 million in aid funds disappeared through corruption and fraud during the Ebola crisis in West Africa 2014 to 2016. In Liberia’s case, this is about $ 2.7 million, which went to goods that were overpriced and to payouts. to people who did not exist. The Red Cross says that you should do everything you can to answer the guilty.
HD stops elections after cheating charges
November 1st
The Supreme Court has, at least temporarily, stopped the second round of elections in the presidential election scheduled for November 7. The decision is justified by the fact that the court must decide on an appeal from the Freedom Party’s Charles Brumskine, who came in third place in the October elections. It is unclear if the court will be able to reach its decision before November 7.
Boakai from the ruling Unity Party has stated his support for Brumskine’s appeal, and is criticizing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and accusing her of being involved in the election process. It is about a meeting that she should have had with the election judge before the October elections. Through his press secretary, the president allows health meetings to be consistent with their constitutional role.
Security is strengthened both around the premises of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.
October
Several parties demand that the election be annulled
October 27th
The Freedom Party (LP), All Liberians’ Party (ALP) and the Alternative National Congress (ANC) submit formal protests to the Election Commission asking them to annul the result because of cheating. The complaints include, among other things, allegations that ballot papers were filled in advance, voters who were prevented from voting, harassment by election observers, but also problems regarding polling station opening hours.
Second round of elections awaits between Weah and Boakai
October 10
Liberia goes for election. In the presidential election, the Liberians can choose from 20 candidates and 948 candidates compete for 73 seats in the House of Representatives. The election is conducted under calm conditions, but some reports come about that voters tried to vote several times, lack of election material, errors in voting lengths and more. The turnout is reported to be relatively high, 75 percent according to preliminary figures. The EU, AU, Ecowas, Carter Center and others have sent observers to the election. In addition, there are about 3000 domestic election observers.
Presidential candidate for the ruling Unity Party (UP) is Vice President Joseph Boakai. He is expected to face his toughest opposition from business leader and millionaire Benoni Urey, former football star Senator George Weah, former warlord and now Sen. Prince Johnson, Alexander Cummings, who worked for Coca-Cola in both the United States and Nigeria, and the Freedom Party’s Charles Walker Brumskine. The only woman in the starting field is former photo model MacDella Cooper, who now runs a foundation to improve living conditions for women and children.
When almost all the votes are counted, George Weah leads by 39 percent, ahead of Joseph Boakai who has gained 29 percent, Charles Brumskine who has received just under 10 percent and Alexander Cummings and Prince Johnson who have received about 7 percent each . This means that there will be a second round of elections on November 7 between Weah and Boakai.
Charles Brumskine has rejected the result and claims that cheating has occurred.
The election will also be rescheduled in two polling stations in Nimba, but in the case of votes, it will not affect the overall result.
July
Twenty want to succeed Johnson Sirleaf
31 July
Twenty candidates have been registered for the presidential election in October when a successor to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is to be appointed. The candidates include the former warlord and now senator Prince Johnson, former football professional George Weah, also now senator, corporate executives Alexander Cummings and Benoni Urey as well as the only female candidate, the former photo model MacDella Cooper. Current Vice President Joseph Boakai hopes to win votes on the peaceful development of recent years. However, none of the candidates are obvious advance favorites.
February
Taylor calls from prison
February 10
The British media company BBC reveals that former President Charles Taylor manages to call from the Durham prison to political supporters in his home country. Among other things, he must have provided representatives of the NPP, the party he once founded, advice before the elections later in the year, and asked them to avoid former allies who turned against him.
Prior to the election, NPP is collaborating with the CDC and with former football star George Weah as presidential candidate and Taylor’s former wife Jewel Taylor as vice presidential candidate.
