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Lofa County, located in the north of
Liberia and at the end of a dirt highway with difficult access throughout one
third of the year, was one of the hardest areas hit by conflict for over 14
years. Thousands of people were killed, and thousands more were displaced as a
result of violent fighting. Following the end of the war in 2004, Lofa County
witnessed an influx of 270,000 returnees from the Mandingo, Lorma, Kpelle,
Kissi, Gbandi and Mendi tribes. The majority of Lofans returned from refugee
camps in neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea to rebuild their lives. As people
returned to populated centres, towns and cities such as Voinjama are increasingly
becoming more diverse and overcrowded, hosting numerous communities side by
side.
Following a decade and a half of civil war, Liberia is building from the physical and psychological destruction of the conflict and working towards a peaceful and prosperous future. While post-conflict reconstruction and institution re-building takes place throughout the country, remote areas in the north of the country remain lacking in many basic necessities such as safety and security, sustainable food sources, clean and accessible water, health care and education. This lack of basic resources has been linked to the cause of minor and major conflicts between and within communities throughout Liberia, with specific note to those areas furthest from the capital city, Monrovia and within the most densely populated areas within Lofa County.
The war left a lasting legacy – roads and electrical systems were destroyed; schools, hospitals and homes were demolished; and the use of violence against civilians, in particular women and children, left physical and psychological scars on most people. Some examples include:
Following a decade and a half of civil war, Liberia is building from the physical and psychological destruction of the conflict and working towards a peaceful and prosperous future. While post-conflict reconstruction and institution re-building takes place throughout the country, remote areas in the north of the country remain lacking in many basic necessities such as safety and security, sustainable food sources, clean and accessible water, health care and education. This lack of basic resources has been linked to the cause of minor and major conflicts between and within communities throughout Liberia, with specific note to those areas furthest from the capital city, Monrovia and within the most densely populated areas within Lofa County.
The war left a lasting legacy – roads and electrical systems were destroyed; schools, hospitals and homes were demolished; and the use of violence against civilians, in particular women and children, left physical and psychological scars on most people. Some examples include:
- 2011
tribal riot in Voinjama claimed approximately ten lives. All youths
- February
2011 Religious conflict in Kornea, Zorzor district claimed lives of youths