SUMMARY

LPC (Liberia Peace Council) was an armed faction active during the first episode of the Liberian civil conflict (approximately 1989-1996) emerged as a military faction sometime during 1993.

LPC was one of many ethnic Krahn militias, the Krahn being the ethnic group that had received the patronage of President Samuel Doe during this term in office (1980-1990). The group was founded by George Boley, a Krahn politician who was in essence ousted from the government cabinet as the Liberian government fell apart at the onslaught of NPFL (National Patriotic Front of Liberia) which entered into armed conflict with the government in 1989. The group aligned with other Krahn-dominated militias to battle NPFL, which was dominated by members of the Gio and Mano ethnic groups that opposed Doe’s regime. LPC emerged mainly as a proxy force for AFL (Armed Forces of Liberia), when that group became constrained in its actions by the 1993 Cotonou peace agreement. After this peace agreement was signed, and as was the case also after other agreements were signed, many of the factions in the Liberian civil conflict endorsed the creation of new factions that were not bound by the agreement in order to make battle field advances that could support their cause without implicating them directly.

The group was composed mainly of ethnic Krahns from the ULIMO (United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia) and AFL groups, but also drew in fighters from ethnic groups that suffered at the hands of the NPFL’s attacks. At its peak the group probably consisted of just about 4 500 troops. The group battled against NPFL mainly in southeast Liberia, where substantial amounts of money could be made from controlling the lucrative timber and rubber trades. Like most of the factions during the conflict LPC became involved in atrocities against the civilian population, one such atrocity being one-sided violence against civilians.

As stated above LPC came about through the support of AFL, and also of ULIMO, which leant both soldiers and armaments to the movement. The peacekeeping forces of ECOMOG have also been accused by various organisations of backing LPC in its struggle against the more powerful NPFL. Accusations have been levelled against ECOMOG of supplying LPC with arms and munitions, but it is unclear if this support has been sanctioned from the top or simply been given by individual commanders wanting private profits. Other than that mentioned above, links to other factions or outside states are unclear.

LPC was founded by George Boley, a member of the Krahn ethnic group who was made a Minister of State in the government of Liberian President Samuel Doe. He was previously a member of the ULIMO group, but left to found the LPC. LPC seized its activities after the 1996 peace agreement in Liberia, and Boley became a candidate in the 1997 presidential elections. He and his party however received few votes and did not gain any significant power.

LPC has been involved in the non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.