General information
Part of Conflict: n/a
First Battle Related Death: 1996-04-06
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1996-04-16
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The non-state conflict between NPFL, ULIMO-K and AFL, LPC, ULIMO-J is first included in UCDP data in 1996. In April that year, clashes between the two sides resulted in hundreds of battle-related deaths.
Conflict issues
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1996
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 3000 |
| Best | 2000 |
| Low | 347 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (NPFL, ULIMO - K): n/a
Side B (AFL, LPC, ULIMO - J): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1996 Dyad Archive
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: The high number of casualties is due to the intense usage of heavy artillery. The big discrepancy between the high and the low figure can be attributed to the uncertainty connected to the reporting of the actual events during the third battle for Monrovia. The low figure should be seen as an extremely conservative figure.
Comment on Active: The violence that took place in this particular conflict was set against a backdrop of conflict, a conflict in which several groups fought for territorial and/or governmental control. The violence in Liberia had been ongoing since 1989. This particular conflict was fought during seven weeks in April and May of 1996. The clashes were confined to central Monrovia, and the battle was referred to as the third battle for Monrovia.
The initial cause of the violence was the attempt to arrest Roosevelt Johnson, leader of ULIMO-J (United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (Roosevelt Johnson faction); he was accused of a murder in connection with militia clashes in the vicinity of his home. The decision to arrest Johnson was taken by the Transitional government of Liberia, which ruled the country ever since interim president Amos Sawyer stepped down in accordance with the Cotonu peace agreement (for more information see the peace agreement section of the database.). Even though the warrant was issued by the transitional government it was in fact NPFL (National Patriotic Front) and ULIMO-K (United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (Alhaji Kromah faction) soldiers who carried out the attempted arrest. This fact sparked the ethnically tainted clashes that pitted ULIMO-J, LPC (Liberian Peace Council), and AFL (Armed Forces of Liberia) against NPFL and ULIMO-K. During the seven weeks of fighting there was intense shelling of entire neighbourhoods, mortars, anti-aircraft missiles and various grenades were commonly fired indiscriminately causing great devastation and losses of lives.
Terminated: NO
