Appeasing the Warlords: Power-sharing Agreements in Liberia

Between 1989 and 2003, Liberia underwent a devastating 14-year civil war, during which numerous peace agreements were signed. Power-sharing was an important feature of these agreements, but the ways in which power was to be shared evolved as the series of peace agreements progressed, with increasing amounts of power being allocated to the leaders of the various warring factions over time. This resulted in the continuation of the war, as the agreements effectively encouraged interfactional fighting over territory, resources and, ultimately, political power.