Editing Liberia (section)

=== 21st century ===
In March 2003, a second rebel group, [[Movement for Democracy in Liberia]], began launching attacks against Taylor from the southeast.<ref name=cbc/> Peace talks between the factions began in [[Accra]] in June of that year, and Taylor was indicted by the [[Special Court for Sierra Leone]] (SCSL) for crimes against humanity the same month.<ref name=warrant/> By July 2003, the rebels had launched an [[Siege of Monrovia|assault on Monrovia]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/1944472?story_id=E1_TJQQQSN |title=Liberia's civil war: Fiddling while Monrovia burns |newspaper=The Economist |date=July 24, 2003 |access-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208115445/http://www.economist.com/node/1944472?story_id=E1_TJQQQSN |url-status=live }}</ref>
Under heavy pressure from the international community and the domestic [[Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace]] movement,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15215312 |title=Profile: Leymah Gbowee{{snd}}Liberia's 'peace warrior' |work=BBC News |date=October 7, 2011 |access-date=October 20, 2011 |archive-date=May 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530220828/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15215312 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Taylor resigned in August 2003 and went into exile in [[Nigeria]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Ann M. |last=Simmons |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2003/08/12/taylor-resigns-as-president-of-liberia-leaves-the-country/ |title=Taylor resigns as president of Liberia, leaves the country |newspaper=Baltimore Sune |date=August 12, 2003 |access-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111130718/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2003-08-12/news/0308120316_1_charles-taylor-liberia-sierra-leone |url-status=live }}</ref>
A peace deal was signed later that month.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/aug/19/westafrica |title=Liberian rebels sign peace deal |newspaper=The Guardian |date=August 19, 2003 |access-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131034059/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/aug/19/westafrica |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[United Nations Mission in Liberia]] began arriving in September 2003 to provide security and monitor the peace accord,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsite.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=47807 |title=Liberia: UNMIL extends deployment as more troops arrive |work=IRIN News |date=December 24, 2003 |access-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-date=January 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117190239/http://newsite.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=47807 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
and an interim government took power the following October.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/14/westafrica |title=Bryant takes power in Liberia |newspaper=The Guardian |date=October 14, 2003 |access-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131034209/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/oct/14/westafrica |url-status=live }}</ref>
The subsequent [[2005 Liberian general election|2005 elections]] were internationally regarded as the freest and fairest in Liberian history.<ref name=freedom/> [[Ellen Johnson Sirleaf]], a US-educated economist, former Minister of Finance and future [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner, was elected as the first female president in Africa.<ref name=freedom/> Upon her inauguration, Sirleaf requested the extradition of Taylor from Nigeria and transferred him to the SCSL for trial in [[The Hague]].<ref>{{cite web |date=March 17, 2006 |title=Liberia–Nigeria: "Time to bring Taylor issue to closure," says Sirleaf |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2006/03/17/%E2%80%9Ctime-bring-taylor-issue-closure%E2%80%9D-says-sirleaf |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=[[The New Humanitarian]] |archive-date=May 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504151733/http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=58474 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://unmil.org/1article.asp?id=1157&zdoc=1 |title=Taylor Sent Off to Face War Crimes Charges |work=AFP |publisher=UNMIL |date=March 29, 2006 |access-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005100159/http://unmil.org/1article.asp?id=1157&zdoc=1 |archive-date=October 5, 2011 }}</ref>

In 2006, the government established a [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Liberia)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] to address the causes and crimes of the civil war.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 21, 2006 |title=War-battered nation launches truth commission |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/report/58220/liberia-war-battered-nation-launches-truth-commission |access-date=January 23, 2023 |work=[[The New Humanitarian]] |archive-date=February 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222114809/http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=58220 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, July 26 was proclaimed by President Sirleaf as National Independence Day.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://mofa.gov.lr/public2/2press.php?news_id=397&related=7&pg=sp |title=Tuesday, July 26, is National Independence Day; to be Observed as National Holiday |publisher=Government of the Republic of Liberia Ministry of Foreign Affairs |access-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-date=August 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802050652/https://mofa.gov.lr/public2/2press.php?news_id=397&related=7&pg=sp |url-status=dead }}</ref> In October 2011, peace activist [[Leymah Gbowee]] received the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in her work of leading a women's peace movement that brought to an end to the [[Second Liberian Civil War]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Founder |url=https://www.gboweepeaceusa.org/our-founder |website=Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa-USA |access-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116232107/https://www.gboweepeaceusa.org/our-founder |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2011, President Sirleaf was [[2011 Liberian general election|re-elected]] for a second six-year term.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sirleaf seen winning Liberia run-off vote |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-liberia-election-preview-idUSTRE7A62BD20111107 |work=Reuters |date=7 November 2011 |language=en |access-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116232638/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-liberia-election-preview-idUSTRE7A62BD20111107 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the [[2017 Liberian general election]], former professional [[Association football|football]] striker [[George Weah]], considered one of the greatest African players of all time,<ref name="journey">{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/2018/01/23/from-football-king-to-liberian-president-george-weahs-journey_a_23340918/ |title=From Football King To Liberian President – George Weah's Journey |work=Huffington Post |author1=Nkosinathi Shazi |date=January 23, 2018 |access-date=October 3, 2018 |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116174121/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.za/2018/01/23/from-football-king-to-liberian-president-george-weahs-journey_a_23340918/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Top 10 Greatest African Strikers |url=http://www.joburgpost.co.za/2017/06/06/top-10-greatest-african-strikers/ |access-date=August 27, 2018 |work=Johannesburg Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220025546/http://www.joburgpost.co.za/2017/06/06/top-10-greatest-african-strikers/ |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> was sworn in as president on January 22, 2018, becoming the fourth youngest serving president in Africa.<ref name="Listwand">{{cite news|title=Top 10 youngest serving presidents in Africa, 2018|url=https://listwand.com/2018/01/top-10-youngest-presidents-in-africa-updated/|agency=Listwand|date=October 3, 2018|access-date=October 26, 2019|archive-date=October 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003125007/https://listwand.com/2018/01/top-10-youngest-presidents-in-africa-updated/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The inauguration marked Liberia's first fully democratic transition in 74 years.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news|title=George Weah sworn in as Liberia's president|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42773165|agency=BBC|date=March 22, 2018|access-date=October 26, 2019|archive-date=June 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614181951/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42773165|url-status=live}}</ref> Weah cited fighting corruption, reforming the economy, combating illiteracy, and improving living conditions as the main targets of his presidency.<ref name="BBC News"/> Opposition leader [[Joseph Boakai]] defeated Weah in the tightly contested [[2023 Liberian general election|2023 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Liberia's George Weah concedes presidential election defeat to Joseph Boakai |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20231118-liberia-s-george-weah-concedes-presidential-election-ahead-of-final-result |work=France 24 |date=18 November 2023 |language=en |access-date=December 2, 2023 |archive-date=December 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202164031/https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20231118-liberia-s-george-weah-concedes-presidential-election-ahead-of-final-result |url-status=live }}</ref> On 22 January 2024, Boakai was sworn in as Liberia's new  president.<ref>{{cite news |title=Boakai sworn in as new Liberia president after victory over Weah |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/22/boakai-sworn-in-as-new-liberia-president-after-victory-over-weah |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |access-date=February 15, 2024 |archive-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206122521/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/22/boakai-sworn-in-as-new-liberia-president-after-victory-over-weah |url-status=live }}</ref>
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