What were some factors that led to the first and second civil wars in 1989 and 1999?
For almost 140 years since the country’s founding, the Americo-Liberians maintained power over the indigenous tribes. Ironically, when the freed American slaves returned to Africa, they began to take advantage of the poor locals, just as they themselves had been exploited. Preferring the customs and culture of the antebellum South, they did not truly integrate into the existing culture. Over time, resentment among indigenous tribes grew. In 1980, Samuel Doe staged a successful coup. He executed then-president Tolbert along with thirteen government ministers and officials. Doe became the first Liberian president from the indigenous tribes, and he claimed to represent all 16 tribes. But history reveals him as a despot and dictator who used his power to persecute other tribes. In 1989, an Americo-Liberian named Charles Taylor, with the backing of neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, invaded Liberia. These troops gained high levels of support with tribes persecuted b
