The Roles of Peace Envoy in Liberian Conflict Management

Abstract

In the recent past, Liberia and Africa at large have been in the news mainly in the light of several disorder which ranges from intra-state and inter-state conflict and civil wars. Civil wars resulted to wanton, killing, kidnapping, genocide, and destruction of property as well as the increase in the  refugees and internally displaced persons. Also, the prolonged Liberian  conflict led to violation of human rights, particularly atrocities against  civilian populations, including widespread sexual violation against women  and children and underage, etc. The situation has continued to constitute  threat to international peace and security in the region, to stability in West Africa sub-region, and to the peace process for Liberia. The method and  sources of information adopted was through secondary sources. The study  considered the overview of the Liberian civil war and its return to democratic society and the emergency of the first woman president in Africa in the year 2006. The roles played by the peace envoys in managing the Liberian conflicts with the particular reference to the UN, ECOWAS and Nigeria  (ECOMOG) for its leadership roles and the way forward on research on the roles of peace envoy in conflict management in Liberia and Africa at large
Problems faced by these envoys were also looked at.

Key words: civil war, conflict, peace envoy, genocide, security.